Carving a Path in History
by Korana
Summary: Newbie fanfic. Elsa K. Clearwater, a modern-day Assassin's Creed fan, is involved in a series of events that lead her to come face-to-face with the infamous Italian Renaissance-era Ezio Auditore da Firenze. When she discovers she won't be returning home, she wonders what the future has in store, both for herself and for her new hooded friend. M for safety, Ezio/OC.
1. Chapter 1

Hello my friends! Welcome to my Assassin's Creed fanfiction! Bear with me, this is only the second fanfic I've ever written. If you have suggestions, comments, or anything helpful I'll definitely appreciate it. Other than that, I hope you enjoy. :)  
Please review and thanks so much for reading! :D

**I don't own anything other than the character Elsa Katherina Clearwater.**

* * *

Elsa huffed and tossed her PlayStation 3 controller down onto her bed, frustrated. Why is it all the good games have to leave with cliffhangers? She had just finished Assassin's Creed II, with Ezio beating the pulp out of Rodrigo Borgia and then receiving an ethereal call from the goddess Minerva, explaining how she and others like her were ancient aliens whose task was to prevent the world from collapsing. You know, the usual explanation for everything.

The game had been released only a few days ago, and it had been Elsa's one focus. Of course, she still went to work and did all the mundane things expected of a normal human being, but other than her gaming, she was somewhat empty. She had just moved to a small-ish city in New York state a year ago, her parents practically abandoning her and kicking her out right as she turned eighteen. It wasn't a surprise, her parents doing that, as she was never remotely close to either of them in the first place. In fact, ever since she had been old enough to hold a job, she practically lived on her own. Nevertheless, it had still been upsetting to be thrown out like last week's leftovers.

Playing Assassin's Creed was where she could escape from all that, so it was the only thing she looked forward to. Now, she regretted rushing through it so quickly. She'd have to wait for who knows how long before she could continue the story, and, to be honest with herself, she was not a very patient person.

Standing up, Elsa walked out of her little apartment bedroom into the kitchen, realizing the last time she ate was in the early morning before work, and it was nearing 9:30 PM. She opened her mini fridge and unsurprisingly realized it was bare. There was a nearly-empty jug of milk in the back, though, and she pulled it out and unscrewed the cap. It smelled sour, a pungent odor slowly escaping, and she quickly poured the remainder in the sink, holding her nose, and tossed the container into the trash.

She turned around and leaned on the short counter-top that lined the wall, sighing. She had enough money to buy groceries and all, it's not like she was broke and living off of scraps, but she just didn't have the motivation to walk a block and spend the time to nab some food from the nearby supermarket. She glanced at her clock. It'd still be open, being a 24-hour store.

Finally her hunger won over, and she grabbed her purse and jacket off of her table and exited her apartment, locking the door behind her. Any initial plans to walk to the store were stamped out as she walked outside. It was freezing and tiny specks of ice whipped about viciously. Making her way out to her old, beat-up car, she pulled her jacket closer, the cold January wind biting her skin. Her hair whirled around, twirling in front of her face and obstructing her view of the car handle. She fumbled about, gripped the handle, and finally hopped into the vehicle, slamming the door and finally taking a shaky breath. Her car shuddered to life and she pulled out of the small parking lot from behind the apartment complex.

She felt her feeble car creaking under the force of the wind now that it wasn't blocked by buildings. Most of the traffic was moving slowly, careful in case of ice on the roads. In a moment she came upon her destination, pulling into the turn lane that led to the store's parking lot. She let her foot off the brake and started to turn when her car slammed forward abruptly, a crunching noise echoing from the back that could only mean she'd been rear-ended. She shrieked in surprise as her car skidded into the lane of oncoming traffic, brakes locking up on an icy patch. Cars swerved away from her, but not fast enough, as she saw a large semi truck barreling toward her, sliding on the ice.

Elsa screamed, her vehicle betraying her pleading demands to move as the semi rammed head-on into hers, crushing the metal car and everything inside it within seconds.

* * *

Elsa's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, her heart pounding in her chest. Her body felt oddly numb - weightless, though exhausted. The last thing she remembered was staring her imminent death in the face, and now she saw- Wait... She halted. She couldn't see anything at all. It was pitch black, her eyes not sensing even a trace of light anywhere. She felt around, trying to identify her surroundings. She was on a bed, but other than that she had no idea where she was. Maybe a hospital? Or was she actually dead..?

"Hello?" she called warily. The sound echoed as if she were in a very small room. "Uh... Anyone there? Mind telling me where I am?"

A light appeared abruptly in front of her and she startled, inhaling quickly and scrambling back onto the dimly-lit bed. It was growing brighter and began to take a shape. She gasped again as she saw it take the form of a woman, who she recognized from somewhere but couldn't quite place it yet. An eerie yet entrancing voice escaped the form, echoing softly, startling Elsa even further, causing her to squirm backward onto the bed. It sounded as if three people were talking at once in perfect unison, but at the same time the voice sounded singular.

"_Questions you may ask, though answers shall not follow. We have not the time to delve into explanations. There is but one thing you must know: You are the key to the survival of your race. We are gone from this world, all of us, but we do not wish to see you suffer our peril. Take this life we return to you and use it against the dangers that edge ever-closer to sending this world plummeting into shadows. Carve a path of light through the darkness that - if you do not succeed - shall inevitably tear this world apart. It is you, Elsa Clearwater, who we turn to now. Find the prophet. Together you shall be unstoppable_."

The light vanished with a quick flash. Elsa blinked. She sat there, staring in the darkness, stunned. What the freaking hell was that? Prophet? What prophet?

"What? What are you talking about? Wait!" She shouted once she found her voice, a lump forming in her throat.

_What did she say about returning life to me? Was I seriously dead? That would explain the whole "freaky-human-made-of-light" deal._ Elsa's mind was whirling. She realized she was shaking, and she felt nauseous. She whimpered slightly, palms clammy, and brushed her hair back.

Suddenly the dull nausea flared up into white hot pain and hit her like a train, washing straight from her core and sending her head reeling. Her ears felt unbearably hot, and her throat was straining to keep from retching. She moaned, doubling over and collapsing fully onto the bed, stomach clenching and arms weak. The pain became so intense she began screaming, her eyes scrunched shut tightly and her body curled into a ball. The pain never subsided, and it ravaged through her entirety, forcing her to beg for relief, a way out, even death. Tears streamed down her face, though she didn't notice. The pain lasted for what felt like hours, or days, or years, Elsa had no idea. Time was irrelevant; all she could focus on was the agony gripping her, rendering her immobile.

The pain altogether stopped abruptly, leaving Elsa in an almost trance. It was as if she'd never felt it. Her eyes were still clamped shut and her body was still heaving slightly, curled up as if it were a shield against itself. She stayed there unmoving, recovering from her unbidden torture. She flinched slightly at the sound of muffled voices. Slowly she began to open her eyes and her surroundings shocked her, causing her to jerk her head up and take it all in.

She was sitting in the corner of a large dimly-lit foyer. Far above her, a chandelier lit by candles hung gracefully from the ceiling. Tall, intricately-sculpted columns rose from the floors up, with red banners and drapes adorning rails of a large staircase leading up to a second floor. A large red carpeted rug lay in the middle of the floor in front of the stairs. On the opposite end of the rug, a large archway revealed that it was still nighttime, but a warm breeze came through the door, filling the room with a very fresh, grassy smell. Along the walls were beautiful paintings and doorways that appeared to lead to various places throughout the building.

It was all very... Italian Renaissance. This place was familiar. _Very _familiar. She felt like she had just been here yesterday. Then, it hit her. It looked exactly like Ezio Auditore's villa estate in Monteriggioni.

"Ohhkay," Elsa huffed to herself, "This is weird. This is just... Really weird," she started mumbling, "Am I on drugs?"

She sat there in the center of the room, unable to believe her eyes, then startled again at the sound of muffled voices again. One was most definitely a man's, but she occasionally heard a higher woman's voice. She shifted and then stood up, feeling no effects from the pain she had earlier. Tiptoeing as silently as possible over to where the voices could be heard, she hid by the wall and peeked her head sideways to listen, making sure she didn't actually put her head into the room. She heard a familiar deep voice in a thick accent and she inhaled sharply. Her eyes widened, listening.

"All of her kind died many years ago," the voice said, then paused and said a bit quieter, "I wish I could show you the magic she performed."

A pause for a moment, and then another more gruff voice of a man who sounded older asked, "Who is 'Desmond', and where are these temples Minerva spoke of?"

Her eyes widened even more. This was getting ridiculous. First she's in a place that looks like Ezio's home, now they're talking about a guy named Desmond and someone named Minerva? It was too much for plain coincidence.

The former replied, "I do not know."

The gruff voice continued, "Then perhaps we must search for them."

Another very sharp voice cut in, "Tell me how it ended with Borgia. Did Rodrigo beg forgiveness? Make excuses? Promise power in return?"

The familiar deep accented voice replied again, "No. None of those things."

"Interesting. I'm.. Surprised he remained so composed." She heard small footsteps, the sound of someone pacing the floor.

"I let him live..." Said the accented voice that Elsa realized sounded just like Ezio's.

"THE SPANIARD LIVES?" The sharp voice raised to a shout, angry and surprised. "Once our enemies are dead, we can speak of vaults, or gods, or ancient places. You should have killed him! We're sure to suffer for it." More footsteps, and another set, blending together.

"I am not here to debate the past! Together, we should discuss the future." Ezio's rough voice echoed through the marble and stone building, and the other man cut in.

"No. I am leaving immediately for Roma." Elsa heard the footsteps fade quickly as the gruff older voice returned again.

"Ezio, I do not know why you spared him, but I trust your judgment. Machiavelli will come around."

Silence. Elsa just gawked, trying to process what she had just heard. Four names were thrown out: Minerva, Desmond, Ezio, Machiavelli. Elsa's mind began racing. She seriously needed to snap the hell out of this whole Assassin's Creed alternate reality.

_I'm gonna bet that I'm (hopefully) lying in some hospital somewhere, drugged up and in a coma, and this is what my brain is doing to cope. _Elsa thought to herself, trying to reassure herself, to make sense of it all. She heard footsteps approaching the doorway she was standing by. She froze, unsure what to do. Before she could act, a man walked swiftly through the doorway, initially not noticing her plastered to the wall.

Elsa gasped, partly terrified and partly surprised, before she could catch herself. It was obvious who the man was. He was wearing long black robes that tapered into points, his hood pulled back off his head. His long dark hair was pulled back into a red ribbon, some of it falling down by his eyes. Dark stubble shadowed his jaw and chin, and his features were furrowed into a contemplative frown as he glared ahead.

Ezio stopped, hearing a woman's sharp intake of breath, and turned around, half-expecting to see his sister or his mother or even Caterina Sforza. The sight that greeted him threw him off completely. A young woman stood there, wearing trousers of an odd deep-blue fabric and a strange-looking mars black jacket with small chains and buckles. She was wearing athletic sneakers, but he had never seen anything of the sort and they looked so incredibly foreign. Her vivid dark red hair was thick, long, and wavy, and to his surprise was just draping loosely down her back and over her shoulders. Women always wore their hair up, not to mention usually wore some sort of decorative covering or pin. This woman was... peculiar.

Ezio hesitantly took a step toward her and she shied away, her eyes looking to pop out of her head. He stopped, and their expressions of confusion and surprise mirrored each other.

Ezio finally got up the courage to speak, looking at Elsa straight in the eyes.

"Who... Who are you?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks to Suiya for the review! It helps a lot! :)**

**And thank you all so much for reading, much love to you all. Please review, I'm always welcoming opinions of my readers! :3**

* * *

Elsa stared at Ezio, dumbfounded, unable to find words. She let out a strangled string of Um's and "I uhhh...", then clapped a hand to her mouth to keep from embarrassing herself further. This was Ezio Audi-freakin'-tore, a legend, THE legend. And he was _talking_ to her.

She promptly straightened herself, stepping away from the wall and strapping her purse over her shoulder. Ezio looked at her untrustingly, taking a step back and subtly placing a hand on his blade.

Elsa froze, noticing his threatening stance, and looked at him again, having an internal freak-out. What if he wasn't like the Ezio in the games, what if he was just a killer? What if he didn't have that good side to him?

Ezio himself immediately didn't trust the girl. He'd seen enough in his days to know that not all women were soft and friendly. There were some women who could slit your throat without a moment's hesitation and without any remorse, just for a bit of coin. He kept his hand on his blade, noticing her shifting the bag she held, which could harbor all sorts of weapons or harmful concoctions.

She shakily placed her hands at her sides. "Well, um, this was nice, but I gotta go." She said quickly, trying to walk around him toward the open door, though she had no idea _where_ she would be going. Ezio's hand snaked out and grabbed her arm roughly, whipping her back around to face him.

"What are you doing here? How did you get in here?" He implored, his voice deep, loud and commanding, scaring the bejeezus out of her.

"I-" Elsa began. Wait, how _did _she get here? "I don't know, I-" she stuttered. Ezio didn't release his grip. His eyes hardened slightly and he whistled loudly, and a very large man with a very large axe shuffled through the door. The man, who Elsa recognized was dressed as a mercenary, caught sight of Elsa and had a double take, his eyes glancing at her strange apparel.

"Ser Ezio?" The man reported, his eyes still glancing over toward Elsa, then at Ezio's hand firmly placed around Elsa's forearm.

"Giuliano, I need you to take her down to the sanctuary, bring an extra guard, give her what she needs but do not let her leave. I need to speak with her, but I've got some things to do first." Ezio said hurriedly and leaned closer, whispering something in the man's ear. The man, apparently named Giuliano, nodded sharply.

Ezio pulled a cord of rope out of a pocket and cut a piece off, tying Elsa's hands tightly but not to the point of pain. Elsa contemplated protesting but shrugged the idea. This was Ezio Auditore with a hired, skilled mercenary. Even with the martial arts training in Karate she'd had, she knew she would be a squishable bug to either of them and it'd be a hopeless cause. Besides, as long as this was the Ezio she knew, she needn't worry. He has a soft spot for women.

_ At least, I think he does,_ she glanced down at the bindings on her wrists.

Giuliano called out another name, "Romeo", and man who looked uncannily like Giuliano, though a little smaller, with the same jet-black hair and eyes, walked into the Foyer, showing the same reaction as Giuliano had after seeing her.

Giuliano took Elsa's purse from her, and to her dismay, felt along her clothes to make sure she didn't have any concealed knives or weapons. He didn't think anything of it, but Elsa was feeling slightly violated and quite pissed.

Now knowing she wasn't armed, he put a hand on a pouting Elsa's shoulder and directed her into a room while relaying to Romeo what Ezio had ordered. They walked her over to a wall and opened a stone door, leading her down stone stairs into darkness. She immediately recognized it as the sanctuary where she had brought all of the assassin keys to unlock the armor of Altaïr. A rush of excitement ran through her despite her previous disposition and possible danger and she unintentionally started grinning. She was in Monteriggioni. With Mercenaries... And Ezio!

The men lit torches and brought her to the center of the room, and her eyes widened in awe. It was one thing seeing all these places through a pixelated screen, and it was another seeing them in person. All the marble statues were so smooth, so detailed and beautiful. And Altaïr especially, in the dead center, the statue almost three times as big as a normal human being.

The men looked at Elsa with bewilderment. They expected her to attack, or to react in some overdramatic girly way like crying or shouting, but instead this random woman was just standing there with a huge smile plastered across her face, gawking at statues. Giuliano looked at Romeo and shrugged, smirking and rolling his eyes a bit, and the two went and stood at the entrance to the room.

Elsa kept turning in circles, taking in the sheer impressiveness of the room. The floor had carved patterns swirling down to the center where she was standing. The recently-lit torches now blazed brightly around the room, casting dancing shadows every which way.

Romeo cleared his throat, looking at Elsa speculatively, and spoke up, "Ah, miss, is there anything you need? Are you well?" She was pretty sure he didn't mean well as in physical health, but mental health, due to the way he was looking at her.

Elsa snorted and waved her hand. It tickled her that they thought she was crazy. Then again, maybe she was. She had already accepted the fact that she was living in the Italian Renaissance. "Nope, thanks, I'm OK." Romeo narrowed his eyes, looking confused, and glanced over to Giuliano. He mouthed the word "OK..?" in a questioning look, and Giuliano shrugged, shaking his head.

It suddenly occurred to Elsa that the saying "I'm OK" wasn't exactly an existent phrase in the 1400s. She remembered hearing somewhere that it started in the US when it was a budding new country, almost 400 years ahead of where she was in time.

"Ugh, sorry, what I mean is, I'm doing well, Romeo, thank you for your concern." she said, running her fingers over the stone foot of a statue. Romeo flinched at her use of his name, surprised. Elsa guessed he thought she was oblivious to the world around her. Romeo then nodded, giving Giuliano a look she couldn't quite describe. Worry? Maybe worry.

Elsa sighed, exhaustion washing over her now that she was somewhat secure, even if it _was_ in a man's basement with two guys making sure she didn't leave. She slumped down, sitting on the cool stone floor, fiddling with her shoelaces. The soft crackling of the torches, the dim lighting, and the cool floor lulled her into an even more tired state. She kicked off her shoes and tossed them to the side, then removed her jacket. In the corner of her eye the two men shifted uncomfortably, attempting to turn their focus somewhere else. She was wearing a small red camisole, and she realized that to them the sleevelessness and low-cut manner of the shirt was probably very taboo. She smirked to herself, reveling in the fact that even though they were making her stay there, she still had _some_ power over them, even if it was just making them feel awkward. It's the little things that count...

Elsa yawned deeply, placing her jacket under her head as a makeshift pillow. It had been the longest night of her life. Even so, she had to admit to herself, it was so much more interesting, and honestly more exciting than anything she could have ever been doing at home with her deadbeat parents, her deadbeat friends and her deadbeat life. Her eyes drooped sleepily as she watched the soft firelight flicker on the walls from the torches, and she slipped off into slumber.

* * *

She woke up to a muffled yelp, and raising her head to the sound she saw Giuliano and Romeo fiddling with her phone, pulling out all the things in her purse. There was nothing in there that really mattered here, just a flashlight, some pepper spray, a smartphone, keys, various chewing gums, and makeup. She hesitated for a second. That smartphone could actually be important. And the flashlight. And the pepper spray. But especially the phone. Ugh! There was no internet, obviously, and the battery would eventually die, but in the meantime she'd still have it.

"Hey, that's my stuff!" She said in an almost whine, and the two men jumped and whirled around, Giuliano nearly dropping the phone onto the stone floor. "Give it here!" she demanded, but Romeo stopped her.

"No, Miss, I'm sorry but until we know it's not a weapon we cannot return the... whatever those are." He pointed to the things she had listed, most of them scattered about on the floor.

"Fine," she grumbled, running a hand through her hair, "Just be careful with them..."

Her thoughts were interrupted as she heard soft footsteps descending down the stone stairs, and she turned expectantly, seeing Ezio walking down. He was wearing his leather pants, boots, a belt with various things attached to it, and a plain thin white tunic. He had his hair drawn back into a ponytail as always, with loose hair framing the sides of his face. His eyes looked very tired, and his face was furrowed in a frown. He was mumbling something under his breath, and Elsa thought she overheard something along the lines of "women" and "confusing". He looked up at her, finally, and walked over to where she was standing at a distance.

Elsa stared at Ezio, gawking, not even bothering to close her mouth. The pixels on the screens had not done this man justice. It was like going from black & white television to a full-blown IMAX 3D. He moved so much more fluidly than what it showed in the game, his gait seeming almost liquid. His hair reflected the firelight in a much more vivid, striking way, hues of chocolate and black and red blending together to create an intense, rich auburn that fell over his eyes and shadowed his jaw and chin as stubble. His brows were dark and thick and strikingly symmetrical, shading deep pools of honey that were his tired eyes. Yeah, okay, now she understood the plethora of Ezio fangirls.

Ezio looked at Elsa, studying her clothes. This woman was... very, very odd. Her fiery crimson hair flowed and waved halfway down her back, and Ezio thought she looked like a goddess, with striking green eyes that studied everything with a look of both calculation and cunning. She was small, probably just over five feet tall. She was quite a bit younger than Ezio, which wasn't saying too much as he was nearing the 40 mark. Still, he had to be careful with this woman. He had no idea what her motives were, or how she managed to infiltrate his heavily guarded home without raising suspicion.

Ezio knew she wasn't armed, Giuliano had made sure of that, but he still kept his distance. He smoothed out his hair and rubbed a hand over his face, though that didn't do much to help his tired appearance. He looked at her finally, and began to speak.

"Now, this time when I ask a question," he said in his richly accented voice, and Elsa thought she picked up a slight streak of humor, "I think it would be best if you answer it with actual words. Tell me, Signora, who are you, and where are you from, and what are you doing here?"

Elsa straightened up. She wasn't going to be the frightened, helpless girl that they expected, that was for sure. "My name," she began with poise, "is Elsa Katherina Clearwater. I'm from..." she trailed off, hesitating. She was from New York, a currently nonexistent state in a nonexistent country, of which area couldn't have been discovered more than twenty years ago, depending on the time frame. "I'm from a place called New York. It's in America. But you probably don't know where that is, because it hasn't exactly been -" She stopped, trying to keep herself from rambling. Ezio looked at her inquisitively.

"Uhm, I'm going to be completely honest here," She started again, "I think I'm from the future-I mean, I guess I am. That's what I've decided anyways. I'm from the year 2010, and where I come from, a lot of people know about you. I know your name is Ezio Auditore, and that you took up your father's role as an assassin, and that for the past twenty-some years you've been avenging the deaths of your father and brothers. And I know that you're really good at what you do, and I know how you always wear that badass hood and your best friend is Leonardo da Vinci, and you just recently secured the Apple of Eden-" Elsa halted when she saw the expression on Ezio's face after mentioning the Apple.

Ezio tensed, his eyes fiery and glaring into hers. He gritted his teeth. "Who sent you?" he demanded, almost hissing, his accent even stronger now, "Was it the Borgia? How do you know all of these things?"

She stopped to think rationally. If this was real, she needed to be smart. She was coming off as a threat, or a spy, or really anything along those lines that was generally frowned upon and could result in an undesirable consequence, such as death. She began again, shaking involuntarily at the anxiety of having a master assassin give her the death glare.

"I.. I don't know how I got here, I promise. At first I was... I mean, I think I died," she said hurriedly, the realization of her death finally sinking in, "but then this woman, who looked like she was made of light, showed up and brought me back to life, gave me a second chance. She said I had to save the world, or something, and that she couldn't because her race was gone from the earth. She said I needed to find 'The Prophet'." she stopped, glancing nervously at Ezio. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"Minerva," he said quietly to himself, and started pacing, muttering incoherently. Elsa overheard some, as Ezio said, "I cannot believe it, why would..." and then, "The Prophet..."

Ezio stopped pacing and looked back at Elsa, who was still standing still in the center of the room. He walked up to her, studying her face, looking for any traces of dishonesty. He saw none, and, scratching his chin, muttered to her.

"We have much to talk about, Elsa Clearwater."


	3. Chapter 3

***Squeee* Thank you all for the reviews! They help, truly. :)**

* * *

Ezio led Elsa back up the stairs once she gathered her things back into her purse. They headed over to the other set of stairs that led up to the second floor, and Elsa caught sight of a very pissed-off-looking Caterina Sforza. Caterina was practically fuming, hurrying around and packing her things into a sack. She glared up, making eye contact with Elsa and Elsa was almost positive she saw fire shoot from the chick's ears. Ezio turned toward Caterina, his expression apologetic though annoyed.

"Caterina, please, Madonna, I didn't-" she cut him off, replying in a slightly raised voice.

"No. No apologies, Ezio. I am leaving. Thank you for your time," she said curtly, nodding toward him and turning sharply on her heel and leaving the building. Elsa stood there awkwardly, Ezio staring after her out the door.

"Wow!" Elsa exclaimed in false wonder, looking around, "This room is nice and... room-y today. All the red and the... marble..." she glanced at Ezio, and he shifted, returning his attention to her.

"What-oh, my apologies. This way," he said, shaking his head and leading her upstairs. She followed, even though she knew her way around the place. Ezio led her into a corridor and then a dark, small room with a ladder leading up at the far end. "After you," he said, and motioned for her to go up the ladder first. She scampered up and took in the sight. She was Ezio's room, and it was _really_ impressive. They were in the highest part of the estate, looking out over the town and across the country side, moonlight gracing the rooftops and coming in through the window. A few candles were lit and placed in various areas in the room, casting long shadows that pranced along the walls and seemed to speak to each other. Paintings of various people adorned the walls, and Elsa realized they were paintings of the people she, er-Ezio- had killed.

_Now that's a little morbid,_ Elsa thought, _but whatever floats his boat, I guess._

Ezio climbed up through the hatch as well and motioned for her to sit at the table to her left. She pulled back a chair and sat down, leaning back and sprawling her legs out, folding her hands over her stomach and sinking into the seat. Ezio walked over to sit down at a chair across the table, looking at her with the most intrigued expression. In all of his life he'd never seen someone act so incredibly _weird_, and that was saying something. He folded his fingers together and leaned his chin on them, placing his elbows on the table. He was deep in thought, trying to decide where to start. She had interacted with the goddess Minerva, just as he had within months ago, both receiving almost the same message. He studied her features, the way her eyes darted around and took everything in.

Elsa looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to talk, but he didn't. He just sat there watching her, unmoving and without expression. She squirmed in her seat, looking everywhere but in his eyes and trying not to feel too self conscious of the fact that she was under scrutiny. She fiddled with a string on her jacket, then flinched slightly when Ezio suddenly spoke.

"So," he began, his voice low but still commanding, "you do not know how you came to be in my home." It wasn't a question, he was simply reiterating a fact. He continued, "And you have spoken to the moving painting depicting Minerva, this I can be sure of. You say she told you to find 'The Prophet'?"

Elsa just nodded, not really knowing if she should speak aloud or not. His presence was intimidating, especially now that he was staring intensely at her with dark, wise eyes, a mixture of intrigue and caution. Ezio looked down at his palms, then flexed his hands into fists and sighed, stretching his fingers back out before he started talking again.

"I need to ask you a question; you may not know the answer and that is fine, but it has been plaguing my mind for months." he paused, and Elsa nodded again, inviting him to continue, "When I spoke to Minerva, she mentioned a name, as if she were speaking to a phantom in the room. Do you know of 'Desmond'?" He asked, waiting eagerly for her response.

Elsa sat there a moment, frozen, and then remembered the scene at the end of the game. Should she tell him everything? No, that wouldn't be a good idea, she decided. Telling Ezio that there's a man 600 years in the future reliving his entire life piece-by-piece could be a bit of a shock, especially coming from an alien-looking girl who appeared suddenly in the middle of his house, claiming to know his story. Elsa shook her head slightly, then speaking up once she found her voice, "No, I'm sorry. Minerva didn't mention a Desmond."

Ezio huffed slightly, frowning at the table. "Ah. Well. No worries. I didn't really expect you to know, though it was worth a try." The utterly crestfallen look on his face nearly made Elsa melt and spill the beans, but she caught herself and bit her lip. She would tell him... Later. She looked out the window, the stars and moon illuminating the frame. It had to be around 2 or even 3 in the morning, and she was definitely feeling the effects. She'd gotten a bit of a nap down in the sanctuary, but her body felt like it was made of stone, every time she tried to move a limb it was heavy and sore from sleeping on the hard floor earlier. She covered her face as a yawn broke, and Ezio followed the yawn with one of his own, leaning back in his chair and stretching. Elsa always found it funny that yawns were contagious, and she started smiling before it was over, contorting her face into a huge, wide-open-mouthed asymmetrical grin before finally returning her face back to normal.

Ezio looked at her, his eyebrows turned up slightly, and he smirked. Standing up out of his chair, he stretched again. "Elsa, I think we should just wait and speak of this tomorrow. I desperately need sleep, and you look fit to pass out where you are sitting." He walked over and motioned for her to stand up, guiding her over out and down the ladder into a room where Claudia was.

"Claudia," Ezio said, letting Elsa walk in before him, "this is Elsa Clearwater, and I need you to take her to a guest room." Claudia stood up, her movements fluid, and she walked as if she were floating toward Elsa. Claudia was gorgeous. Elsa gawked at her for a second, noting how beautiful she was compared to how she was depicted in the game. In the game she was indeed pretty, but not _gorgeous._ She was taller than Elsa by a few inches, blessed with flawless skin, her chocolate hair pulled up with tiny flowers accenting the color. Her eyes were soft and she gave Elsa a wide smile and held out her hands, placing one on Elsa's shoulder and gliding out of the room, pulling Elsa along with her. Elsa stared at her, fighting mild pangs of envy.

_Don't be THAT girl,_ Elsa thought to herself. She didn't want to be the one who disliked someone just because she thought they were prettier than her. Claudia always seemed like such a sweet girl in the games, and from what Elsa could tell, she truly was. Claudia led her to a room she had never noticed before. Perhaps it hadn't been programmed into the game, because Elsa really didn't recognize it. It was a simple room, with wood flooring like most of the second-floor rooms. A beautiful bed sat in the corner, and Elsa sighed with relief, the softness of it making her want to collapse upon the bed and pass out. Claudia spoke up.

"Do you need anything? Perhaps a change of clothing?" Claudia looked down at Elsa's clothes, a polite yet confused look on her face.

"No, thank you, I'll sleep in these clothes," Elsa replied, gesturing a hand toward her jeans, and Claudia hesitated before nodding and exiting the room, closing the door behind her. Elsa sighed a deep sigh, breathing in the now-cooler night air that flowed through a window above the bed. She looked out the window and noticed that the room she was in was probably almost directly underneath Ezio's. With that thought, she removed her jacket and her shoes, placing them on the floor at the foot of the bed. She blew out the only candle in the room, now with only moonlight to guide her to the bed. Shuffling over to it, she flopped down onto it, pulling the covers up close by her head and finally completely relaxing into the bed for the first time in nearly 24 hours. Sleep washed over her and she was out like a rock.

* * *

Elsa woke up to a very, very loud boom. She thought it was thunder, but the floor shook beneath her with violent force and sent things falling off of the nightstand. Morning light was pouring through the window and Elsa leaped out of bed, jamming her feet in her shoes and pulling her jacket on as she ran out of the door. Another earsplitting crack. She heard distant yelling voices, and started running through the building, though she didn't know where exactly she would go. The sanctuary! The thought hit her immediately and she took off sprinting for the stone door of the sanctuary. She looked down for a split second with just the wrong timing, slamming straight into Ezio, Maria and Claudia.

"Get to the sanctuary!" Ezio boomed, patting Elsa once hard on the back and sprinting away before she could reply. She ran along with Claudia and Maria, and they all made their way down the stairs, leading a crowd of others with them.

Claudia had taken a leadership role, keeping people calm and ordering them through a secret passageway behind the statue of Altair. Elsa jumped when she first saw the door open behind the stone figure, surprised. This place held a lot of secrets... Elsa stood back and waited until the last person had gone through the door before looking at Claudia with wide eyes.

"What is going on?" Elsa asked worriedly.

"We are under siege. Apparently the Borgia came to teach us a lesson."

Elsa's eyes widened more. Under siege? "So... those were cannons?" she asked, heart pumping. Claudia nodded somberly.

"Yes, and I'm afraid if we don't hurry we'll be buried with the city itself," she said. Elsa's heart clenched. Monteriggioni, beautiful, beautiful Monteriggioni. Ezio's home, the place she had spent so much time rebuilding and nurturing back to its glory, was being ripped apart.

"Where is Ezio?" Elsa asked, realizing she hadn't seen him come down with them.

"I do not know, Elsa," Claudia said, trying to rush her to the door, "but we HAVE to go! Now! Ezio will find a way out, he always does. Now go!" she gave Elsa a hard shove and followed her through the corridors leading away from Monteriggioni at a rushed pace.

In that moment, Elsa realized she would never again stay in that beautiful, bustling town.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to Solaheartnet, HidanKakuzuFanGirl, Alyssa, Suiya, and my guest reader for reviewing. :)**

**Here's another one! Sorry it's later than the others; a winter storm came through and knocked out my internet service for a few days. Luckily it wasn't both internet AND power, because I was still able to write on Microsoft Word even though I couldn't yet submit it. Whoo! Will get to work on the next chapter tonight, and hopefully I'll have it in by tomorrow night. That is, unless my internet dies again; there's another blizzard coming through. :O**

**Many hugs and thanks,**

**~BattleKitten94**

* * *

They all made their way through dark corridors, over sewers and bridges, and finally out of the passageway to the side of the outer wall of the town. Luckily, there weren't any enemy soldiers around, so the escapees were able to sneak out without raising an alarm. Claudia grabbed Elsa's arm and pulled her aside.

"We are going to Roma - my mother and myself. Maybe you should come along, unless you have somewhere else you can go," she said quickly, and Maria walked up next to her as the other people made their way down the roads away from Monteriggioni. Elsa stood there for a second, weighing her options. The smartest idea would be to go with the Auditore girls, but then again, what if she could somehow help Ezio and the men fighting inside the walls? She hesitated, then began to speak.

"What about Ezio? I don't see him anywhere. What if he needs help?" Elsa asked, and Claudia sighed worriedly.

"The best thing we can do for Ezio is make sure we get ourselves to safety. It would kill him if his family got hurt." she said, and Elsa thought back to how Ezio had seen his father and brothers brutally killed right before his eyes.

Suddenly the reality of the whole situation washed over her. Everything that happened in the games, even the most horrible, had happened here. It wasn't all just a story about some superdude who kicked ass and took names. It was real: all the pain, the hardship, the stretched morals. Ezio and his family had endured things that Elsa couldn't even begin to imagine. She took in a deep breath and steeled herself. If anyone would know what to do best in a situation like this, it'd be Ezio and his family.

"Okay," Elsa said, and she was thankful her voice didn't shake, "I'll go with you. I have nowhere else to go."

Claudia nodded and looked at her sympathetically, then looked momentarily confused. "What is 'OK'?" She asked as they started to walk swiftly along a road leading from Monteriggioni. Elsa huffed, forgetting that "Okay" wasn't a familiar term with these people.

"It's.. I guess it's a term of agreement, understanding, or affirmation," Elsa said, not sure how else to describe it, and thankfully Claudia nodded understandingly.

"Okay," Claudia said with a smirk. Elsa smiled too, and the three women continued swiftly their way toward safety.

About a mile down the road they came upon a medium-sized house and decided to stop there and ask about some horses they saw in the back. Horses would make the journey much smoother, and Claudia and Maria had quite a bit of money, so cost wouldn't be an issue. They approached the door and knocked loudly, but no one came to the door. They listened and not a single sound escaped the house. Elsa glanced in the horse pen and noticed the water trough was completely dry.

"Perhaps we should check to see if anyone's inside?" Maria said, and Claudia nodded. She slowly unlatched the door, knocking again, and calling inside. "Hello?" she asked, "Is anyone home? Helloooo?"

The three of them walked inside. The fire stove was completely cold, and there were no signs of recent life. Dust had gathered on the table, and the rooms were practically stripped bare. No bedding on the beds, nor candles on the tables, nor really anything that would hint that someone lived there. It was, undoubtedly, an abandoned house.

Claudia and the two others exited the house and walked around to the horses. There were four of them, all somewhat identical: rich red-brown with white stockings. The only differences between them was the markings on their faces; two had long white blazes down their noses, one had a completely white nose, and one didn't have any white at all. A small slanted shed at the opposite end of the horse pen had various saddles and bridles hanging in it.

Claudia clapped her hands in relief and immediately got to saddling and bridling three horses, leaving one of the ones with a blaze unsaddled. Maria helped her while Elsa stood there feeling useless. She'd never ridden a horse, much less put a saddle on one.

Her eyes widened as Claudia guided a horse over and handed its reins to her. Elsa took them tentatively, eyeing the horse. It just stood there, appearing somewhat bored, which Elsa decided was a good thing. Much better a boring horse than a crazy one. Claudia and Maria quickly finished saddling their own, and Maria placed a leading bridle on the fourth, tying a long rope from its bridle to the saddle of her own. That way they could take all four without worries of one wandering away.

Elsa clumsily climbed onto her horse in a way she was sure any true horse-rider would cringe at. She got herself situated in the saddle, thankful she hadn't borrowed a dress from Claudia. A dress would make this impossible for her, though the other two women didn't seem to have a problem with it. Claudia directed her horse onto the road first, and then Elsa finally managed to get hers moving as well. They were well-trained, which was awesome, and Elsa found herself enjoying it immensely.

They picked up an almost trotting pace, which had to have been at least three times faster than walking. Elsa let Claudia and Maria lead in front, as she had no idea where she was going. It was one thing pressing buttons and choosing locations on a map; it was another actually physically trekking the roads.

After about an hour, the sun had come up completely over their heads, and Elsa was relieved it wasn't too hot. She had removed her jacket, though, because it felt about sixty degrees, and had wrapped it around her waist, tying the wrists together. Elsa's stomach growled, and she realized she was seriously starving. She hadn't eaten anything for over 24 hours, nor had she drank anything. The whole "being-reincarnated-into-the-reality-of-her-favori te-video-game" issue must've doused her appetite, because she hadn't felt remotely hungry when she went to sleep the night before.

She pulled out her purse and began digging though it with one hand. The nice thing about riding a horse was that she didn't have to worry about distracted driving. Horses tended to conveniently follow the leader. She couldn't really find anything she could eat, but she did find a pack of gum, and thankfully popped a piece in her mouth. It was a raspberry mint flavor, and she closed her eyes, savoring the taste. Gum usually did one of two things: it either made her hunger worse, or curbed it for a few hours. Thankfully this time, after a few minutes she didn't feel quite so ravenous.

They rode on, the sun continually making its way across the sky, and Elsa hoped dearly she wouldn't get a sun burn. Even in cold weather, the sun can be brutal. Claudia and Maria rode in front of her, speaking to each other, and Elsa would occasionally overhear bits and pieces of their conversation. From what she heard, it sounded like they were trying to figure out where to stay, until Elsa heard Claudia speak up loudly, saying, "Rosa in Fiore! It would be perfect! We would have a steady income, plus once Ezio finds his way to Roma his ties to the courtesans will lead him straight to us. It's perfect!"

Maria nodded in approval, saying some things Elsa couldn't hear. Elsa thought for a moment. Courtesans? They were going to stay with courtesans? With all due respect, she had no idea how she'd fare living in a brothel, not to mention she sure as hell wouldn't be _working_ in one. She snorted at the thought of her trying to seduce someone for payment. Being as awkward as she was, she'd be lucky to even make sexy eyes with someone before tripping over her own feet-she'd probably find a way to fall over even if she was sitting down.

* * *

After the three women continued on until near-sunset, the horses picked up their pace as they all saw the rising walls of a gigantic city. Elsa stared in awe as they entered the gates. To her right was a rolling countryside with scattered houses and roads, the roofs reflecting the orangey-pink light of the setting sun. To her left was another gate leading into the heart of Rome. Massive stretches of run-down aqueducts surrounded the entire area, and off in the distance, Elsa saw a sight that made her heart leap. A large round amphitheater rose on the horizon, and she realized she was looking at The Collosseum. THE COLLOSSEUM. She gasped in excitement and squealed, and Claudia laughed when she realized what Elsa was smiling at.

"It's truly amazing, isn't it?" Claudia said, and Elsa nodded, a grin still plastered on her face.

When Elsa was young, she had seen a picture of the beautiful broken building on a post card. She had begged her parents to take her, not realizing it would cost a massive amount of money, (Come on, she was like, five years old.) but her parents shot her wish down and told her she'd never have the chance to go there. Though she never asked again, it had become a lifelong goal for her, even if it had to be when she was a decrepit old woman.

When she had heard Assassin's Creed II would be featured in Italy, she so strongly hoped that they'd visit the Collosseum, and was slightly put down when it never showed. She longed to just spur her horse in that direction and ride it straight to the gigantic building, but she refrained. It was near-dark, and she knew a lone woman riding in the countryside would attract the wrong kind of attention.

The three women rode their horses into the city, and the crowds of pedestrians walking in the streets split slightly to let the horses through. They passed shops and towering buildings, occasionally passing a group of guards patrolling the area. The guards were dressed just like the ones she'd seen in the games, but these ones looked more menacing. Their silver armor glinted in the red sunlight and their swords and spears flashed with every step. Elsa shuddered at the thought of Ezio getting cut and sliced every time he fought them, realizing the true necessity of the medicine he carried. Those weapons were truly deadly.

The sun had almost completely set by the time they had reached their destination. Claudia dismounted first, and Elsa and Maria followed. They led their horses over and tied their reins loosely to the side of a large building. It was covered with ivy and decorated with beautiful red silk banners, with a large sign on the front that said, "Rosa in Fiore". From what Elsa could guess, she decided the name meant Rose in Bloom - or "Blooming Rose", but she honestly had no idea. It'd make sense and all, delicate flowers being associated with pretty ladies. She smirked as she thought about the game Dragon Age 2, because the brothel in that game was also called "The Blooming Rose". Something about the thought of flowers must put men in a mood.

They walked to the front door and Claudia knocked. The door opened quickly and a woman probably in her thirties stood there, assessing the three, and proceeded to invite them in. Claudia walked up to speak with the lady as Elsa and Maria stood back, waiting to see if they could stay there for the night. Claudia and the woman continued speaking, and Claudia held up her coin purse, apparently saying something the woman liked, because she clapped her hands together and beamed, giving Claudia a generous hug and beckoning Maria and Elsa over.

The woman was still beaming as she introduced herself. "Hello, hello! I am Madonna Solari. Welcome to The Blooming Rose!" She curtseyed and flashed a quick look at a man, Elsa was guessing a customer, who walked in the door behind them.

Elsa gave herself a mental high five for translating the name and smiled brightly the woman. "Thank you, Madonna," she said, and the woman looked at her quizzically for a moment, no doubt thrown off by Elsa's non-Italian accent.

"If you will excuse me, I shall have my girls escort you three to your rooms," Madonna Solari said, snapping her fingers. Two girls who looked to be in their twenties, with dark hair pulled into tight buns atop their heads, walked in, and Madonna Solari quickly acknowledged them, "I need you girls to give these women three adjacent rooms, they will be staying here and working the books for a while."

The girls nodded, smiled, and led Elsa and the Auditore women up a set of stairs and into three small rooms. Each one had a somewhat small bed, and across from which stood a desk with a large mirror. Deep basins of clear, fresh water lay beside the desks, most likely for hygiene purposes. Elsa's mouth suddenly felt extremely dry, and she stopped the girl from leaving her room to ask her a question.

"Uhm, I'm very sorry to bother you, I'm sure you must be very busy and all, but I was wondering if you might have something to eat or drink? I'm famished." The girl's eyes brightened and she nodded. "Of course! I shall bring you something at once, madonna!" The girl retreated quickly and Elsa walked over to the desk to inspect it. It was relatively clean, with a large, off-white candle on the left back corner lighting up its surroundings.

She looked into the mirror and was surprised at how normal she looked. Her hair was actually somewhat contained, though it still held its frizzy fluffy nature, and she was relieved she hadn't been wearing any makeup, for it surely would've been smudged across her face by now. Her clothes were practically caked with dirt, however, and she groaned. She knew she'd have to wash them eventually, meaning she'd be soon wearing the clothes of the appropriate century.

The girl reappeared not soon after, carrying a silver bottle-shaped container, a tall cup, a small loaf of bread, and a hunk of rich orange cheese. Elsa's mouth erupted in anticipation, practically drooling down her chin. The girl poured the liquid from the silver bottle, and Elsa realized it was wine. The courtesan left the room, shutting the door behind her, and Elsa stared at the meal.

_Of course it's wine_, she thought, _This is Italy for goodness' sake._ Wine, cheese, and bread. Perfect. Elsa sat down, relieved to finally have a decent meal. She picked up the loaf of bread, and to her delight it was still hot, steam rising lazily from it. She broke it in half, and after popping a piece of cheese in her mouth, she took a bite. It was heavenly, and she could taste a sweet wheat-y flavor, mixing with the sharp cheddar flavor of the cheese. She groaned, and her body finally began to relax.

Her legs had become extremely sore from the constant jarring of the horse's quick trot, and she savored every second of the moment during which she finally sat down on something stable. She took a sip of the wine, and it was surprisingly good. She'd only tasted wine one time, the legal drinking age being 21 in the US and her only being 19, and then she hadn't really liked the flavor. But this wine didn't taste so strong of alcohol, it was more like slightly fermented sweet juice. It quenched the dryness in her mouth and she slipped into a completely tranquil state.

She finished her meal promptly, refilling her cup twice in the process, and felt a bit buzzed by the time she decided it was time to sleep. She placed her jacket and purse on the floor next to her bed, humming a tune to herself softly, and removed her shoes, socks, and constricting jeans so that she was just in a camisole and her underwear. No one would see her, the door was locked and she was up a floor level, so no one could see through the window. No worries there. She stretched out her achy limbs and sighed before finally crawling into the bed. It was soft yet firm, the mattress seemingly more perfect than the old crappy one in her apartment with angry springs that constantly dug into her back. She pulled the thick blanket over her, and it smelled of rosemary.

Her thoughts drifted back to Ezio, as she wondered if he was okay, or if he was even alive. She shoved away the thought of his death, refusing to even think of it. _No, not Ezio. That's impossible_, she decided, and with that thought, she slipped into a dreamless, blissful slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Hope you enjoy, all help is welcome; if you have suggestions please review or PM. :)**

* * *

It had been a little over two weeks, and the women stayed at the brothel the whole time, helping to manage money, washing clothing and bedding, and just overall keeping the place in good standing. They received nothing but kindness from all the women there, and occasionally some uninvited affection came from intoxicated men who mistook them for working girls. Thankfully, the other girls would distract the men long enough for them to make their escape.

Each day brought Elsa more worry, both for Ezio's well-being and because she started to think this would be what she was going to do for the rest of her life, especially if Ezio never returned. She went from working as a generic secretary in a dentist's office to running a whorehouse. Quite the step up for excitement, but she wasn't so sure it was something she could keep up for long.

Claudia and Elsa talked a lot, and Elsa told Claudia stories of where she came from. Claudia listened intently, her reactions both intelligent and astounded. She, to Elsa's surprise, willingly believed that Elsa was indeed from a future world, which made Elsa's explaining it much easier. Claudia's biggest interest was the concept of cell phones. Elsa had showed Claudia her iPhone, which luckily still had almost 80% battery life remaining, and Claudia could barely believe her eyes when Elsa told her of how all she had to do was tap the name of someone in a list and it would connect them, no matter how far apart they were, so they could hear each other's voices.

Claudia did, however, have trouble understanding the concept of electricity, and she just couldn't believe that people from Elsa's time could actually harness lightning and use it to power lifeless things.

"But look!" Elsa, said, holding up her phone, turning the brightness up slightly, "How else can it be explained? This uses electricity, the power of lightning. That's what makes it work. It has something called a battery, which stores that power. The phone uses it until it runs out, and then I have to re-charge it, which means I refill the power source so that it can be used again."

Claudia just stared, disbelief still clinging to her features, and she shook her head. "I still do not understand it, but if that is what you claim, I will believe what you say is true. What a peculiar magic."

Elsa shook her head resignedly, smiling slightly. Magic is just misunderstood science, so technically, Elsa was a very, very advanced magician.

She and Claudia would do their chores together, and over the two weeks they became quite good friends. Elsa began eating her supper with Claudia and Maria, and the Auditore women helpfully explained a lot of questions Elsa had about the time. Claudia and Maria were stunned to learn of how Elsa knew so much about their family. Elsa had the hardest time explaining the concept of TV and video games. She did her best, though, saying that she watched Ezio through a sort of window, a lot like what her phone was, only bigger, and she relived all of his memories. The women were even more shocked to discover that it was a _game_ of all things.

"Why would someone turn that into a game?!" Claudia whispered, her eyes wide. "Ezio has endured such hardships, how could that be taken any way but horrible?" Elsa shook her head, trying to explain.

"The game only played through times when Ezio was defeating his enemies. It wasn't exactly meant to be lighthearted fun, it was more like..." Elsa hesitated for a moment, trying to think of a way to say it that would make sense, "It was like watching a dramatic play. You feel emotions; excitement, heartbreak, triumph, etcetera." Claudia and Maria suddenly had a look of understanding.

"Oh," Claudia finally said, pondering. Maria just kept her mouth shut, though neither of the women really looked upset, just deep in thought.

The women continued their work for a few more days until one early morning when everyone was still sleeping, a loud pounding came at the door. Before anyone had a chance to react, the door was slammed open and a large group of at least ten men came barging in, demanding that Madonna Solari be brought to them at once. The women were all frantic, screaming, trying to call for help as the men drew their weapons and began yelling over the ruckus. Elsa rushed into Claudia's room to find Claudia awake and jamming her feet into her shoes. Elsa ran back into her own room and put on her jeans and shirt, then ran as fast as she could back to Claudia.

"What the hell is going on?!" Elsa heard Maria shouting as she ran in to check on Claudia.

"I have no idea, mother, but quickly, hide! I do not see this ending well for any of us!" Claudia replied, and the three looked over the side of the stairs to see the men tying Madonna Solari's hands behind her back, along with one other girl, and dragging them out of the building. As soon as the men had come, they were gone, leaving a hysterical heap of sobbing, screaming courtesans. Elsa stood there for a moment, stunned, before she began to act.

"I... What just happened? Are you all OK? Who were those men?!" Elsa called down frantically as she rushed down the stairs to check on the girls. They were all way too upset to reply, though Elsa was relieved that none of them showed signs of injury.

Claudia was the first to speak up. "Slave traders, I would bet my life on it. Though why they would just take two women is beyond me, and it is especially strange they demanded Madonna Solari by name. Girls, has this ever happened before? Do you have any idea what would bring someone to do this to us?" The girls just shook their heads, still sobbing, and Elsa shuddered. She remembered how women were treated during these times, how courtesans were viewed as property. Slave traders did this sort of thing all the time with no consequence. To guards, kidnapping a courtesan was barely more nuisance than a buzzing fly.

After about an hour, all the women were calmed down and cleaning the various broken pieces of glass and pottery that had been shattered in the process. They had all already accepted their fate: they'd probably have to shut down the Rosa in Fiore because they had no one left to run it.

Elsa went up to her room and closed the door, mortified. How could people let things like this just happen? Everyone seemed to have accepted the fact that nothing could be done. She felt helpless and angry, and she slammed herself onto her bed, screaming into her pillow. She felt tears pricking her eyes but didn't let them surface. Crying wouldn't make anything better. She turned over and stared at the ceiling, trying not to focus. She overheard Claudia and Maria and three other women talking and walking up the stairs and out onto the balcony that overlooked the river. She occasionally heard muffled voices, but that was about it.

She sighed, bored, and walked over to her desk, studying herself in the mirror. In just the two weeks she'd been there, she had lost weight. Not a lot, but she could tell her cheeks were sinking in more and her waist had lost almost an inch. Though she never truly viewed herself as fat anymore, (in fact since high school she'd gone down to a mere 135 pounds, and probably even less now), she'd always been a curvy girl, and in high school, her chubby years had been her worst nightmare. She used to envy the tall, skinny girls who walked down the school hallways, looking down over their noses at her, flipping their perfect straight blonde-streaked hair and giggling loudly, attracting looks from all the guys. But no, she was a 5'2", fluffy-headed geek who preferred video games over cheerleading. Not that cheerleading was a bad thing, in fact Elsa thought it was awesome, but it always tended to attract the girls she liked the least in her school.

Lost in thought, Elsa didn't notice the sound of heavy footsteps until they were all the way at the top of the stairs. She opened her door slightly, ready to jam it shut if it was an intruder, and looked out. She couldn't believe her eyes. A man was walking up the stairs, wearing a dark hood and the usual assassins' clothing. Elsa opened her door more and walked out as the man turned toward the balcony.

"Ezio?!" Elsa squeaked, and the man stopped and turned around, pulling his hood away from his face. It _was _Ezio. He was alive! He looked at her with surprise, obviously shocked that she was both alive and in a random brothel in Rome. Before she could think straight, Elsa bolted toward him, arms stretched out, and he flinched slightly, holding up his arms as she suddenly wrapped her arms around him in a bear hug. "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU'RE ALIVE!" Elsa squealed, not even caring that she had just tackle-hugged a man who barely knew her. She knew _him_ all too well. She pulled back almost immediately, though, as she felt him wince and groan slightly at her brutal attack of affection. She took a few steps back, giving him space.

"Uh, what are you doing he-" Ezio stopped mid-sentence and recalculated his thoughts. "I mean, nice to see you too, Miss Clearwater," he said, bringing his arm up to cradle his side, rubbing it tenderly. "I need to speak with the women on the balcony, something's happened to Madonna Solari."

Concern washed over Elsa's face. "What? What's happened?"

Ezio looked at her with sad eyes and replied softly, "She was killed."

Elsa gasped, her head spinning. Slave traders don't kill their slaves, they sell them! What the hell? "Why would anyone do such a thing? Who did it?"

Ezio ran his fingers through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. "Hired men. They claimed to be slave traders, but in the end I discovered they were sent here on purpose by-" he stopped there for a second, and his eyes erupted with anger, "they were sent by Cesare Borgia." He practically spat the name, hissing through his teeth. "Cesare has done too much. Gone too far. He will pay for what he's done to me and my family, not to mention the brutal attacks on these women." Elsa decided Ezio wasn't exactly talking to her anymore, but to himself.

Elsa spoke up after a moment. "The balcony is this way," she said, walking out onto it with Ezio behind her. The five women were still talking, not noticing Ezio and Elsa come in. Ezio slowed for a second, his eyes lighting up with relief and confusion.

"Mother? Sister?!" he asked incredulously, walking over to them slowly. The women turned and Maria grinned. "Ezio!" She said endearingly.

"What are you doing in Roma? Has Firenze been attacked?" Ezio asked in a worried voice. Claudia cut in. "No! Or rather-I do not know. We did not go to Firenze."

"Why?" Ezio asked confusedly.

"Ezio, we want to help." Claudia argued.

"I was trying to help YOU by sending you to Firenze!" he scolded, and Claudia rolled her eyes.

_Typical siblings..._ Elsa thought, rolling her eyes. _They didn't know of each other's survival for weeks and now they're arguing like nothing's happened._

One of the women cut in before Claudia could reply, pleading in a frantic voice. "Where is Madonna Solari?" She asked, and Ezio replied bluntly, "She's dead."

The three courtesans looked at each other anxiously. "Merda!" one whispered, and another asked, "What now? Will we have to close?!"

Ezio shook his head quickly. "You cannot close. I need your help."

The courtesan looked at him pleadingly. "Messere, without someone who can run things, we are finished!" Ezio frowned.

Claudia spoke up almost immediately. "I'll do it!"

Ezio turned to her sharply. "You do not belong here, Claudia!"

"I know how to run a business; I ran Uncle Mario's for years!" she retorted.

"This is different!" Ezio said, his voice louder and with growing anger. Elsa shied away. Seriously, how was everyone else here keeping their cool with this guy? When Ezio was in this take-charge mood, he was terrifying! She had a new appreciation for Claudia as Claudia held her ground.

"What alternative do you _have_, Ezio?" Maria pleaded, trying to pacify the argument.

Ezio glowered and turned back to Claudia, jamming a finger toward her. "You do this, Claudia, and you are on your own," he warned.

Claudia glared back. "I've been on my own for twenty years."

Ezio stiffened, his lip curling. "Fine," he gave her one last menacing glare before turning away, "I intend to repair the brothel. This place is a real mess," he said as he stepped over some loose boards, "and I expect your courtesans to be available when they're necessary," he finished, turning and jabbing a finger again at Claudia.

Claudia had crossed her arms, rolling her eyes, not looking at Ezio. "You can count on us." She insisted.

Ezio turned swiftly and began to march out the door but stopped for a moment, turning to face Elsa. His still-furious eyes locked with hers, and she shivered. He beckoned her to follow him, calling her in a demanding voice, "Elsa, I need to speak with you now that I have the time." Elsa flinched at the authoritative tone and nodded swiftly, hurrying after him. The two walked in silence down the stairs and out of the building, back into the soft sunlight where Ezio's horse was tied. Ezio walked over to a wide bench beside the building and sat down, and Elsa seated herself at the opposite end, turning to face him.

"Now," he began, slightly softer than earlier, "I want you to tell me everything you know about how you came to find yourself in Monteriggioni."

Elsa waited for a moment before she took in a deep breath. "Well," she began, "I guess it all started when I was living on my own. I'm from the future, the year 2010, and in that time there's a way for people to watch or relive these... Memories. And the way we do it is through machines. There's a sort of window, I guess, and it shows moving paintings and sounds. And through that machine, I watched _your_ memories and life unfold. I saw what happened to your father and brothers through your eyes, experiencing everything you did or saw," Elsa paused, letting Ezio process. His eyes looked at her and she was surprised that he didn't show a trace of confusion. He nodded at her, waiting for her to continue. "Well, I watched up to the point of where you reached the vault and placed the Apple of Eden inside. I saw your entire interaction with the Goddess Minerva. I heard everything she said, about her race, about our history. And that was where I stopped, because more memories weren't available yet."

Ezio nodded, his eyes furrowed slightly in concentration. He stroked his chin with three fingers. "Hmm. One year ago I would have thought that claim to be impossible. But with everything I've seen, I... I cannot say I don't believe you," he paused, and relief washed through Elsa.

"However," he cut in, raising his eyebrows with the word, and continued speaking with a slight glint of humor, "That still doesn't explain how you got inside my house."

Elsa smiled slightly, relieved of how easy it was to explain these things to him. She had expected disbelief or confusion, but Ezio wasn't giving any hints toward either. "I'm getting to that point, hold your horses, big guy," she said with a smirk, and Ezio finally broke a small half-smile and crossed his arms.

Elsa began again. "Anyways, I got myself into a horrible accident," she decided not to try to explain the concept of automobiles, so she skipped over the details, "in which I'm now positive I died. I woke up in a dark room and Minerva appeared to me and spoke. She said something about how I was the key to the survival of the world, and that I had to find The Prophet - my guess The Prophet being you," she nodded her head toward Ezio. "Minerva claimed that together, The Prophet and I, would- and I quote - 'be unstoppable'."

Elsa finally took a breath, gathering her thoughts before continuing. "Then, I felt this unbearable pain, the worst pain I've ever felt in my entire life, as if my body were burning from the inside out. That lasted for who knows how long until I woke up in the foyer of your house. I just... appeared there. I have no idea if I was there long before I woke up, I just know that I didn't go there on purpose."

Ezio opened his mouth to talk, but he didn't seem to find any words. He closed it again and looked down at his calloused hands. Elsa brought her knees up onto the bench and wrapped her arms around them. A soft breeze played in the air that carried a fresh smell of water and dirt. Elsa breathed in deeply, placing her chin on her knees and closing her eyes. Where she came from, there wasn't all that much freshness about. It was all industrial smoke and paved ground.

Ezio watched the woman with fascination. His world had been completely turned upside down since the day she arrived, though none of it her fault. Since the night she'd arrived, he had lost his home, many of his friends, his beloved uncle, and now to top things off, his sister and mother were now running a brothel. A brothel, of all things! And this woman, this Elsa Clearwater, was somehow caught in the middle of it all against her will. Even so, he noticed, she was handling it quite well. He observed a smile playing on Elsa's lips, her eyes still closed, and he suddenly looked on her with a strong admiration. He had initially treated her much worse than she deserved, and she still granted him more respect than he ever would have given her, had he been in her place. She was lost in this unfamiliar world all by herself. It didn't take him more than a few seconds to decide that she was the strongest woman he'd ever met.

"Elsa," he began, and the uneasiness in his voice caused her to jerk her head up. "I want to apologize for the way I treated you back in Monteriggioni. I was stressed and tired, and although that does not justify my actions, I should've given you more of a chance to explain yourself before I treated you like I did. What you're going through, being thrust into a new life like this, it must be frightening, and I certainly didn't make it easier. I just... I'm very sorry. If there is anything I can do to make this easier, I won't hesitate to help." Ezio watched Elsa intently, gauging her reaction, silently pleading her to say something.

Elsa just sat there, shocked. That was the largest sum of words she'd ever heard come out of this man's mouth at one time, and it was the most beautiful apology she'd ever heard. And, to her surprise, it was directed toward _her._ No one had ever really taken into account her own personal feelings, though by now she didn't really notice it. She had learned to take care of herself, not to let others bring her down or get under her skin. She hadn't ever expected someone to give her such a level of respect as this man sitting in front of her was. And it was Ezio Auditore, of all men, a man capable of tearing down rows upon rows of men without remorse.

_Of all the people I would expect to have people skills, this guy wouldn't even be on the list._ Elsa thought to herself. She realized she'd been staring at Ezio for almost ten seconds, completely silent, and he had begun to fidget. His eyes never left hers, but they had become more anxious.

"Uh," she began, not sure how to reply to something like that. He had worded it perfectly, and her mind was jumbling all her thoughts into gibberish and causing her to draw a blank. "Ezio, thanks, but really, I understand why you did it. You don't have to apologiz-" she was cut off by Ezio holding up a finger and beginning to speak again.

"Elsa, do not blow this off like it's nothing. I was out of line, and for that I am sorry. I could have treated the situation very differently, but I didn't, and it was out of pure carelessness. Trying to convince me otherwise does not change the facts." Ezio spoke urgently but softly, and then he smiled. "Though, thank you for forgiving me so easily. It'd be really awkward if you... I don't know, packed all of your things and stormed off." Elsa giggled, picking up his reference to the first time he spoke to her when they had both witnessed a fuming Caterina Sforza leaving Monteriggioni in a hurry.

"If you don't mind me asking," Elsa began, laughing a little, "What exactly happened there?"

Ezio shrugged, sighing exasperatedly. "To be honest, I don't really know. I had just gotten myself settled into my room when she burst through my door, rambling on about how she overheard the guards talking about me and some woman. Before I got the chance to ask what was going on, she left and slammed the door in my face. Up until that moment, I'd had the feeling that my encounter with her that night would be going _very _differently."

Elsa's eyes widened. Ezio and Caterina? In the game, Ezio might have thought about Caterina with stars in his eyes, but that was about it, as far as she knew. What had happened in the times he wasn't shown in the game?

"Wait, you and Caterina..?" Elsa began, looking incredulously at Ezio, "I had no idea you two were..." she trailed off, not finishing her sentence. Ezio looked at her smugly.

"Mmm, at one time, I may have had my eyes set on Miss Sforza," Ezio began, "but that was abruptly cut short during her brief stay in Monteriggioni. I do not know what came over the woman."

Elsa let out a short laugh, surprised. _The more you know._ Ezio stood up and clapped his hands together, taking a deep breath.

"Well, Elsa, seeing as you clearly have nowhere else to go, I would like to offer you a place to stay. I've come across a large building, of which will be used as a certain... hideout, if you will, and it is most definitely large enough to house many people. I am planning on recruiting, and I want to know if you'll honor me by being my first recruit. I can train you, pay you, give you housing and food, as long as you stay diligent to the assassins' cause and to my training. With hard work, I do believe you could be just what I'm desperately needing." He held out his hand, waiting for Elsa to take it.

Elsa's heart leapt into her throat, and her eyes widened so wide she was sure they'd pop out of their sockets. She opened her mouth, gaping, a grin splaying across her face.

_Me? An assassin? Ezio just asked ME to be his freaking sidekick?_ Elsa's mind was whirling and she felt almost weightless as she reached out and took his hand, grinning uncontrollably. "Um, hell yes I will! Oh my goodness!" She sputtered, and Ezio grinned too, bowing slightly to her.

"Well then, Madonna, let's see what we can do about those clothes of yours."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello my lovely readers! **

**Thanks again to everyone for the reviews, including the exceptionally... uh.. *cough* honest ones. :D**

**I'll admit, this story may not be realistic enough to suit everyone's taste, and for that I truly do apologize. I'll do my best to keep it somewhat on the ground. **

**Suiya: Yeah, fairly near there. Definitely not close enough to be feeling the full effect of what those poor New England-ers are though. Best of luck to them.. Sheesh!**

**Solaheartnet**** : Thank you so much! I feel quite honored! :D It'll get a lot more action once she's training with him. Whoo!**

**Also, sorry this chapter's a little later than the others; I've been juggling work and school, not to mention I've got to memorize every muscle in the cat anatomy by Friday. (I've got a skinned cat sitting pretty on my table. Eeehhhw.) **

**My favorite downtime is writing this story, and the support from you all is just wonderful! Thank you! :)**

* * *

Ezio mounted his horse and waited for Elsa to go around to the side of the brothel for hers. She untied the reins from the hitching post and mounted again, and to her delight, this time not quite as clumsily. She coaxed her horse to follow Ezio, and the two made their way through the town.

Elsa had everything she owned with her, which wasn't saying much. She was back to wearing her own jeans, sneakers, tank and jacket again, to her relief. Over the past few weeks, whenever she decided to wash her clothes, she had to borrow one of Claudia's dresses. The dress was pretty and all, but Elsa just didn't feel _free_ enough in it.

Ezio slowed his horse unexpectedly and they both came to a stop. Not really feeling like dismounting, Elsa decided to just wait on her horse and watch. He led both their horses over out of the street into the shade next to a tall building. Elsa recognized it as a tailor's shop.

"Come, Elsa, we need to speak to this man about possibly fitting you with some new clothing," Ezio said, and Elsa slid off her horse and walked over next to where he was standing. A short, plump man opened a gate and walked out next to her, inspecting her.

"Mm, yes, I do think it is high time we get you some... Er... Proper apparel," the man mumbled, looking at her jeans quizzically. "What is this fabric? It is very fascinating."

Elsa paused for a moment. "It's called 'Denim'," she said, positive that anything she said would just confuse the man, "It's... not a very popular material."

He shook his head, still interested, "Where did you get it?"

"Uh, I..." Elsa thought for a second. "I don't remember, sorry. It was a long time ago." _Or a long time ahead, technically,_ she thought.

The man frowned but nodded acceptingly and turned back to Ezio. The two men spoke for a while and Elsa looked in the shop. There were various busts donned with frivolous vests and jackets, all very colorful and flamboyant. A few men were in the back of the shop, working away on what looked like beautiful shiny filigreed shirts. They were obviously good at what they did, with speedy diligent sewing hands, and she was sure that with the lot of them, they definitely could get a seriously impressive amount of work done in a day.

Ezio called her back over and the tailor quickly went to work, measuring almost every surface on Elsa's entire body. _Geez, I wonder if they get paid more for being ultra-thorough,_ Elsa thought as the man wrapped the measuring ribbon around her waist for the third time. While Elsa stood prisoner to ruthless measuring, Ezio rifled through his things and pulled out a sack of gold florins and began counting them out. The tailor finally finished writing the last of the numbers down and set Elsa free, bowing slightly and returning into his shop to the counter. Ezio handed the man what was apparently the correct payment and the tailor smiled.

"Come back around tomorrow morning and we should have most of what you need finished!" he exclaimed happily, and Ezio nodded and thanked him before walking back over to the horses.

Elsa climbed onto her horse again and the two of them turned back onto the road.

"Soooo," Elsa began after a minute, "What exactly did we get there?"

Ezio brought his attention back to her. He seemed to have been zoning out, because he seemed surprised by the question.

"Oh, that. Um, well, I decided we should go with just some basic linen clothing; something that won't draw much attention to you but still should fulfill its purpose. I can't train you in a dress, at least, not very easily. I didn't think you'd mind, seeing as you're still wearing those trousers," he said, nodding his head toward my jeans. "Your shoes, however, are a completely different matter. Contrary to their odd appearance, they may prove useful. They seem to be quite versatile, a feature hard to achieve with boots such as these." He kicked out a foot, showing his heavily-armored shins, sunlight glancing off of them.

The action spooked his horse, who lurched forward suddenly, throwing Ezio off guard and causing him to jerk back and hold on for dear life, his eyes wide in surprise. He quickly regained his composure as the horse immediately calmed after realizing it was just Ezio, but Elsa started giggling uncontrollably. Though it had only lasted a split second, the look on Ezio's face had been priceless. No screen could have possibly captured the raw surprise on that man's face.

She covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hide her smile, but her eyes and giggle betrayed her and Ezio smirked back, realizing that any attempt to redeem himself would be futile. He shook his head, lowering his eyes resignedly, a smile still playing at his lips. Elsa did her best to compose herself for the sake of his pride, but she still couldn't help grinning.

The two rode their horses in a humorous silence all the way to a bridge leading to a small island in the center of the river. A large building resided in the center of the tiny island, rising above many of the buildings surrounding the river. Ezio turned off the path and dismounted, motioning for Elsa to do the same. They led their horses over to a stable close by, passing them off to a man and tipping him generously. They walked back and crossed the small bridge to the large building, but Ezio didn't go through the front door. Instead, he led Elsa around behind it, on a side near the water, and over to a tall ladder.

"Up there," he said, allowing her to climb first. She made her way up the ladder with ease, not looking down until she had gone all the way up to the top. After walking onto the flat platform, her head spun as she realized how high up they were. She didn't have a fear of heights, per se, but it was definitely surprising to see that they had just climbed at least sixty feet up. She turned around, facing the wall of the building. They weren't even halfway up to the top of the whole building, but Ezio pulled open a door in the wall, walking in and calling Elsa in after him.

They were in a sort of loft at first, and Ezio led her down a set of stairs into the heart of the building. Looking around, Elsa paused, mouth gaping. It was a sight to behold. Rich crimson drapes and rugs accented the stone walls and banners with the assassins' symbol hung from the ceiling by the walls. A large chandelier hung in the center, candles lighting up the area. Massive columns supported the decorated ceilings. A few large bookshelves lined the walls, filled with books and parchments, and in certain corners there were small desks and chairs, with papers littering the surfaces. Soft firelight lit up the room in a warm hue. It was _breathtaking_. _  
_

"This place is awesome!" Elsa finally blurted out, and Ezio raised an eyebrow.

"That's... one word for it, I suppose," he said, studying her as he led her to a room off to the side. It was smaller, though still decorated in the same simple red style, with a single small window that overlooked the water. A bed rested in the corner, and next to it stood a small table with a candle lamp. A few books lay on the table and a small mirror lay against the wall next to it, but other than that the room was mostly bare other than a box/chest thing on the opposite end of the small room on the floor. Elsa guessed it was for keeping clothes or valuables in. _  
_

"This can be your room, if you'd like. I'm sorry if it isn't what you prefer, it is the best room available; none of the others are quite this size," Ezio said, and Elsa smiled and interrupted.

"Oh no, trust me, it's perfect! Thank you so much, for everything. I don't know where I would be if not for you and your family's hospitality, Ezio. Seriously, thank you. I'm sure I owe you my life ten times over," Elsa said quickly, finally getting the chance to express her gratitude. If he hadn't offered her a place to stay, she'd be back in the Blooming Rose, working in an environment she knew she couldn't function in. If he had kicked her out of Monteriggioni, she'd probably be dead already due to the sudden attack on the city.

"Good, it is the least I can offer," he said simply, smiling back at her and walking out of the small room into the main hall.

"Well, I have some things to attend to, so I will be gone for a while," Ezio said, and he began tightening the straps on his belts as he spoke. "If I do not return tonight, expect me in the morning. Feel free to explore the building. Oh! And, down the corridor," he pointed a finger at the opposite end of the room toward a short hallway, "is a stockroom. There's some dried meats and such, along with wine and water, so don't worry about going hungry while I'm gone." He winked, pulling his hood up over his head, nearly completely blocking his eyes from view. Elsa nodded and watched as he walked back up the stairs and out the building.

She spent the rest of the day inspecting the books, reading through them, surprised to realize she even could. She noticed how strange it was that though everyone apparently spoke English, the literature was definitely Italian. She could _read _it clearly, though. What the heck?

_"What if I'm actually speaking Italian to everyone and I just don't realize it?"_ Elsa thought, and she decided the first thing she'd do when Ezio returned was ask him about the language. She _thought_ she was speaking English, but then again, she also thought she was currently existing in an alternate video game reality. By the end of the day, Elsa was seriously questioning her sanity as the question gnawed in the back of her mind. She pushed it aside, though, and went into her new room, placing her jacket, sneakers and purse into the chest and lying down on the bed. There was one blanket, and the bed was quite simple and thin, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

She blew out the candle by her bed and fell asleep, not hearing the assassin come back late in the night and collapse upon the floor.

* * *

She woke up in the morning, and judging by the faint sunlight she guessed it wasn't any later than eight. Yawning groggily, she stretched her limbs and donned her shoes, then decided to get something to eat. She opened her door and walked out, and the sight that met her eyes nearly made her faint. There were literally pools of blood staining the stone floor next to the stairs, and blood was spattered across the floor and into another room. She immediately ran in through the door, though wary, for she had no idea what to expect.

Ezio was slumped over on the floor against a wall, either sleeping or unconscious (Elsa wasn't sure which), one hand holding linen cloth wraps and the other clutching his leg, which was roughly bandaged at the knee. His trousers were torn off halfway down on the injured leg, probably something Ezio had done to make access to the injury easier. A bottle of wine sat to his left, uncorked though mostly untouched. Blood had seeped through the white material, and the sight made Elsa's stomach lurch. She rushed over, kneeling down next to him and called his name loudly, repeatedly, placing one shaking hand on his face and lightly tapping it. He shifted and flinched, his eyes fluttering open slightly, and relief washed over her. _  
_

"Ezio?! Can you hear me? Hey!" she called, grabbing his chin and turning his head toward her so she could look him in the eyes, "What in the world happened to you? Let me help you, what do you need?" Ezio sniffed and put a hand up, softly shrugging hers away.

"Elsa, I'm fine. I just bit off a little more than I could chew is all. Didn't expect that brute to show up." he flinched again as he sat up straight, his leg obviously the source of pain. Elsa put a hand firmly on his chest to stop him.

"Whoa, there, don't you move one damn muscle until we get this bandaged properly. This is a crap job, if I've ever seen one, mister." she said authoritatively, and Ezio obliged, leaning against the wall, smirking slightly. "Seriously, Elsa, I've had much, _much_ worse. This is nothing. I'll be fine in a day, I just-" she put a finger to his mouth to shut him up.

"Shush. Hold still, I'm gonna remove this. Tell me if it hurts too much and I'll stop." Elsa began gingerly peeling the bandages off, unwrapping them, revealing a long gash about six inches across the area above his knee. Thankfully, it wasn't all that deep. It sure bled like hell, though, and she began to worry about his blood loss.

"We probably need to stitch this," Elsa said, and he nodded. He reached over, pulling open a drawer and retrieving a tiny spool of thread and a sharp needle.

"Took this from my sister. It has proven to be quite handy in situations such as this one. Hold on, one moment," he said as he handed the thread and needle to Elsa. He doused a cloth in the wine, then gently patted the area around the wound, using the alcohol to sterilize it. Once he was finished, he reached for the stitching tools and Elsa handed them back. He went to work, hissing slightly once he finally began stitching the wound.

Elsa looked away while he worked. Needles bugged her. Wounds and cuts were one thing, but for some reason the needle itself digging into already torn flesh was just horrid. Stick the needle, thread it, tie the string, cut it. He repeated the steps, placing each stitch a few centimeters apart and ending up with ten stitches total. Elsa looked back, and the cut looked a lot better. It was gnarly-looking, but at least it was closed. Ezio dabbed the alcohol back over the wound, then handed the wraps to Elsa.

"You do it, as clearly you do not believe I am competent of doing so on my own," he said with mock annoyance, a smirk playing at his lips, and Elsa took the bandages, playing along.

"A child could do better than THAT bandaging performance, Mr. Auditore," she said in a joking tone, and began to softly wrap the linen around the wound. She made sure the wrap was flat against his skin, smoothing out wrinkles for a seamless job. He flinched at first, but once the wrap had fully covered the wound it was much better. The initial flaring pain he had felt from the gaping cut had dulled once he got it covered, and it resigned to just a soft ache.

"That should do!" Elsa said, admiring her work once she tied the wrap. "Hurt anywhere else?" she asked, but he shook his head.

"No, just the leg. I guess I am lucky. I was making my way back here when I was jumped by some of Cesare's hired men. I would have easily bested them if not for their reinforcements. A brute guard nicked me when I wasn't looking. With the injury I was quickly overwhelmed and I fled. I let my guard down and received this as payment," he said, pointing to his bandage with disgust.

"Well, can you walk?" she asked concernedly, and Ezio snorted and stood up, but Elsa noticed he did so shakily. "Of course I can walk. This is nothing. Besides, I ran all the way home. Now, what I really need is something to eat."

Elsa nodded, her stomach growling in agreement.

"Ah, I see you do too," he said laughing, and Elsa smiled, mildly embarrassed, and walked to the stock room. They retrieved some more cheese, which Elsa didn't mind; she was a cheese hog. They also nabbed some bread, and each grabbed an apple. Ezio poured some water into two glasses and handed one to Elsa. Normally the beverage would've been wine, but it was morning and they had much to do today. They took their time as they ate, and Elsa put the time to use by asking about the language.

They had been sitting at a table, Ezio poring over some letters and Elsa across from him, eating quietly.

"Ezio," she began, and he looked up at her from under his brow.

"Hmm?" he replied nonchalantly, his focus not fully switched from the letter he had been reading.

"What, uh, what language are we speaking?"

He stopped and stared at her for a moment before speaking, his eyebrows rising to where he looked fairly concerned, though his eyes showed amusement. "Do you always begin conversations in such a way?"

"No! No, I mean, it's hard to explain - Oh," she threw her hands up, exasperated, "I don't feel like explaining." She floundered, his confusion taking her off guard. She had focused on the thought so much, she had forgotten how strange of a question it was.

"No really, I'm quite interested as to what brought on a question like that," he teased, his eyes twinkling, and she shook her head.

"Ezio, just answer my question, or that brute won't be the only thing you'll have marks to show for," Elsa threatened, fighting a smile.

Ezio broke into a grin and laughed aloud. The sound echoed off the high ceilings, seeming to fill the hall with joy. "Fine, fine. You win, I suppose. Last I checked we are speaking Italian, unless I am as sorely confused as you are." He took a bite of his apple, still smirking.

"Oh," was all Elsa could say, despite the urge to defend herself against his teasing. Her mind was whirling. So she was right! She _was _speaking Italian, which explained why she could understand everyone and read their words. It seriously felt like she was speaking English, though. That was the weird part.

_"Whatever the reason for it, it's definitely better than me getting sucked into a world without a means of communication,"_ she thought. At least she wouldn't have to worry about learning Italian, now, and that was a relief. Maybe when Minerva sent her back, she.. somehow programmed her brain to process Italian. That would make the most sense, and Elsa decided that was the most probable explanation.

Ezio shook his head at the woman who was deep in thought, clearly oblivious to the world surrounding her. She was weird, but he'd already decided that a while ago. What he noticed now was the way her crimson hair fell around her face in loose curls, how the ruby red of her pouting lips strongly contrasted her porcelain but freckled skin, and how her eyes, deep pools of viridian, shining out against the pale and red of her features, contained so much emotion without even attempting to show it.

He hadn't realized he was staring at her across the table, and when she finally came to and looked at him, he quickly averted his eyes, doing his best to hide the blush he felt creeping from his ears. She didn't seem to notice it though, to his relief, and she just continued to eat her food. _  
_

"We need to get your new tailored clothing today," Ezio began, covering up his mild embarrassment easily, "and I was hoping to start your weapons training. It won't go as I had hoped, due to my leg, but I can still teach you much of what you need to know without performing it myself."

Elsa brought her attention to him as he started talking and nodded, excited to get new clothing and to begin whatever training Ezio had to offer. "When should we go retrieve the clothes from the tailor?" she asked.

"I'd like to leave promptly once we're finished eating," he began, "but we're definitely taking the horses."

Upon hearing that, Elsa scarfed the remainder of her food down, Ezio finishing his at almost the same time, and they left the building the way they came.

They picked up their horses from the stable, and Ezio rode in front as they traveled to the tailor. The man recognized them at once, and he quickly ran to the back and retrieved a paper sack tied with twine. Ezio took the satchel and handed it to Elsa, who accepted it gladly, grinning. New clothes! No more getting weird looks every time she ventured out into the public! Hooray!

Ezio noticed Elsa's delight and smiled to himself happily. Travelling with an easily-amused person was proving to be quite easy.

Now, though, the task was training her in armed combat, and he was nervous as to how that would pan out. He had no idea of the extent of her physical shape, or how long it would take for her to learn the necessities. She looked small and agile, which could come in very handy in free-running, which he intended on training her in as well. In a city like this, the best chance a person has in escaping the guards is going the only direction they aren't: Up. There's enough of them on the ground that running through the city would prove itself futile. Sure, guards can try climbing, but against someone with light armor and a light build, the armored guards generally don't have a chance.

The two returned to the hideout and Elsa ran to put on her new clothes. She was delighted at how lightweight they were. Her white tunic had ties that cinched the waist in so it didn't billow out, and two buttons sat at the base of the neck, which tapered to a low V unless she tied the strings that laced up the front. The sleeves went just past her elbows, cinching in place and allowing full movement of her arms. She tied and buttoned the shirt up so she didn't have any chest cleavage showing and tucked the long ends of the shirt into her pants. The pants were a dark grey-ish brown, fitted but not tight. Drawstrings ran through the waist and she tied them tightly, though she knew she'd need a belt eventually. The legs fit snugly to her calves and ankles, allowing the wearing of boots or shin guards without a bunch of fabric getting in the way.

In short, the outfit would be perfect with the addition of minor things, like a belt and some basic leather armor items. Elsa grinned excitedly, running out to Ezio, and he smiled back at her.

"I take it everything fits correctly?" he asked, noticing to himself how the clothing hugged her curves just right, accentuating her soft-yet-muscular shapely hips and chest. These clothes were for athletic purposes, but damned if she didn't look good in them.

"It's all perfect, Ezio! Thank you so much! It's way better than what I was wearing, that's for sure." she gushed, her delight washing across her face.

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed, and with a smile, "Now that we have that taken care of, let us get on to your training, my friend. We have much to do!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey readers! Another chapter update, please review! Each one helps! :)**

** Suiya: Whooo! Big change there. And sunbathing? Ah! I'm quite jealous! If I tried that right now I'm pretty sure my toes would freeze off.  
As for the over-dramatic injury scene: Alas, that is my downfall. I'm a sucker for dramatics and romantics. I'll tone it down though. :)  
I'm contemplating editing that part; I thought maybe I'd have him asleep in his bed, and have Elsa freak out and wake him up there, rather than his whole 'falling-asleep-on-the-floor' deal.**

** Solaheartnet: Ahh, what can he say, he's only a man. ;)**

**As for all my followers/favoriters: thank you all SO MUCH for bearing with me through this story! It's a learning process for me, as this is only my second attempt at a fanfiction. First attempt sort of floundered, (I didn't make it past 15k words) but at least I've got steady followers on this story. I'm loving writing it, and I've got so many plans for upcoming chapters! Quite excited!**

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Ezio led Elsa out into the main room, lighting all the candles so that the room was fully lit. Sunlight shone through a few windows and brightened the entire room. Elsa noticed how it glanced off Ezio's hair and features, giving him an almost golden glow. It was quite serene.

Ezio took off his belt and bulkier pieces of armor, leaving him in his leather boots, pants, and shirt. He cleared his throat, taking a deep breath. "Now then," he began, "I'm going to take a wild guess and say you don't have any combat practice?"

"Actually, I have studied a little. Do you know of 'karate'?" she questioned, recalling that until a few months ago, she'd been part of a karate dojo for about a year to stay in shape and learn self defense. She had made it to a blue-advanced belt, approximately halfway to black belt. Her sensei, a new first-level black belt, had been impressed by her natural speed, the way she could send a powerful roundhouse kick and return another almost immediately with the opposite leg. Though that was really one of her only strong points in karate class, it had gotten her all the way to blue. However, she was almost positive that whatever her rank in skill, Ezio could best her in a heartbeat.

Ezio looked a little confused. "Ah, no, I cannot say I have heard of it."

"Well, Karate is a form of martial arts. I've learned various punching and kicking techniques, along with a little blocking. I'm not great at it, though; I haven't really practiced it for about five months."

Ezio nodded, looking pleased. "Indeed? Fantastic. Let's see what you can do, then. If you don't mind, try showing me." He walked over to get out of her way, leaning against a desk close to the corner of the room.

Elsa took a deep breath. Now she had to remember each different skill she'd been taught.

"Uhm, I should probably stretch a little first. It's been a while..." she said, and he nodded. He looked fairly entertained when she stretched out her legs, placing her feet far apart and leaning down forward, placing her palms on the ground. She felt the pleasant burn in her muscles, enjoying the refreshing feel of the stretch. Even though she'd quit her karate classes, she hadn't quit her daily stretches, for which she mentally gave herself a pat on the back. She stretched her legs, arms, back, and anywhere else she felt was necessary before hopping a bit on her toes, relishing the heightened sense of nimbleness she felt in her limbs.

Ezio just watched in amusement. Yeah, he stretched sometimes, and he knew it helped, but this girl took it pretty seriously. He marveled at her flexibility, mildly envious. He had to be agile, of course, but he knew she definitely would have the upper hand in climbing once she got the hang of it. Both her flexibility and her youth would come into play there.

Elsa got into her basic stance, right leg forward and arms up. "Okay! This first one is a front kick. Here goes nothing!" she said, and with that delivered a clean front kick to the air, snapping her knee and keeping her heel bent. She was hoping desperately that she wouldn't slip or do something stupid, and thankfully nothing did. She brought her leg back down and flipped her stance, now with left leg forward.

"This one's a roundhouse," she said, and threw out her entire leg in a large arc, pointing her toes, and then pulled it back, returning to her stance. She continued with the kicks, showing a side kick and a back kick, as well as a closed knee attack. "Aaaand, that's all the kicks I know!" she said, relieved she'd pulled off every single one quite well.

Ezio clapped his hands, smiling. "Well done! Anything else in your bag of tricks?"

Elsa smiled back, nodding. She proceeded to show him a jab, cross, uppercut, and hook punch, hissing with each punch to add power, a habit she had been taught back in the dojo as a white belt. She dropped her arms though, fists still balled, sighing. "Ugh! It's kind of hard without a target," she grumbled, mildly annoyed. Back home, they practiced on large foam dummies. Punching air was disorienting. Ezio shook his head, raising his eyebrows and holding his arms up defensively.

"Miss Clearwater, you'll have to find someone else as your target. No matter how hard you beg, I am not going near those fists!" he smirked at her and she rolled her eyes, smiling back.

"That's not what I meant!" she said, laughing a little and un-balling her hands. He walked over to her while he spoke.

"Oh, no. I know what's going on in that scheming head of yours," he began, tapping the top of her head with his index finger. He was looking at her from under his brow, the corners of his mouth turned up in a teasing grin. "You've probably been plotting against me this whole time. You want to punch poor, helpless, injured Ezio the first chance you get." He exaggerated a limp and pouted, though she still saw the grin in his eyes.

She sighed with amused frustration, fighting a smile, and batted his hand away. "I don't know about _that_, but the idea's definitely growing on me.." she grumbled, turning her head and glaring at the wall, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a laugh. For a killer, this guy sure joked around a lot.

Ezio gasped loudly. "So I was right! I have seen straight through your deceit! Nothing gets past the legendary Ezio Auditore da Firenze!" He puffed his chest out and crossed his arms, pronouncing his name dramatically.

Elsa scoffed, but broke into a closed grin herself and shook her head. He was hopeless. "Legendary my ass," she retorted.

"Ouch! Oh, you wound me with your cruel, cruel words!" he jested, his eyebrows turning up but his mouth still a grin.

"Pffft. Maybe it'll do you some good.." Elsa mumbled, still smiling. Piece of work, this one.

Ezio laughed heartily and nudged her arm lightly with his elbow before he turned and walked a few steps back to the desk, still smirking to himself. Elsa shook out her arms and cracked her neck and knuckles before continuing. Ezio's eyes were still twinkling, but he had a mostly straight face when he began speaking.

"So, you've shown your offensive moves. Do you know any defensive ones?"

Elsa thought for a moment. She'd learned a few ways to avoid attacks, most of them punches. "Well, I know dodging and ducking techniques, and a few ways to block kicks and punches."

"Great! Now," he began as he walked over to face her. She noticed a slight limp, almost undetectable, but still there, "I am going to reach out as if I were sending a punch. You block."

Elsa nodded, and Ezio sent a fist toward her face quickly, but not reaching far enough to hit her. She immediately countered the attack with a circular block, stepping to the side and deflecting his arm outward. He raised his eyebrows slightly, sending the other fist toward her, this time more forceful and faster. She quickly knocked it away with her forearm before he reached halfway, her hands balled into fists. He did this two more times; each time she evaded the blow and knocked them away, and on her final block she sent a punch of her own, stopping an inch from his jaw before he could react. His eyes widened and she pulled her hand away after a split second, frightened. Maybe she'd crossed a line.

To her relief, Ezio smiled widely, eyebrows raised. "Very, very nice, Elsa!" he praised, pleased with her reaction speed. She smiled. A compliment from the master was a big confidence boost.

"I think when it comes to free-hand, you're definitely prepared," Ezio said, patting her shoulder once before walking over to where he had placed his armor on the desk. He returned with a lightweight, barbed knife, handing it to her. Her eyes widened a little. Weapon training on day one? She hadn't known what to expect, but this was surprising.

"This," he said as she took it by the handle, "is a dagger. Wielding a dagger is complex, but I believe you would do quite well with this weapon. The dagger is not as bulky as the sword, and it allows for quick attacks. From what I can tell, your strong point is speed, which to use a weapon like this, is key. I'd say it'd be best if you actually held two: one in each hand."

Elsa gripped the weapon, staring at it. This was all actually happening. She was holding Ezio's dagger, a weapon that no doubt had already been used to take so many lives. It was a beautiful piece, though also very intimidating. It was long and thin, the end tapering up slightly and small barbs pointing down toward the hilt. The hilt was wrapped tightly in black leather for gripping, which was worn smooth where Ezio had been holding it. Her fingers fit into the large grooves his had made.

"Now, I'm thinking you'd be more comfortable holding the weapon like this." He turned the knife around so that the blade was pointing outward laterally, the butt of the handle at the tip of her thumb. It was so much more versatile in this position, and she realized she could virtually point it anywhere with the simple movement of her wrist. With two of these, she could no doubt have a 360-degree horizontal reach, especially if the blades were long enough.

"Oh yeah, definitely better!" Elsa said, fascinated.

"I'm just going to start you on some basic attacks. For the first one, reach your arm out in an arc, like you did for the hook punch. At the same time, grasp the blade and make sure it is flat, or else you're just going to be hitting your target with the face of the dagger rather than the edge. Let's just say that wouldn't exactly do much good. Do as I do," he said, and he took a stance on Elsa's left, her dagger in her right hand. He held an imaginary dagger and brought his fist around in a quick motion, swooping his hand in a circle and stopping in front of his chest, his elbow bent. Elsa did the same, slower than what he had done, to make sure she was doing it correctly.

"Good, try it a few more times," Ezio said enthusiastically. Elsa did it again, faster this time, the dagger fitting snugly in her hand and whooshing through the air. She turned her body with the action, swiveling her feet and moving her shoulders in sync, just like she would have if it were a normal punch.

Ezio clapped his hands. "Fantastic! Are you sure you haven't done this before? I tried teaching Claudia how to use this once and let me tell you, it was not pretty."

Elsa laughed and shook her head, smiling. "No, this is my first time practicing with a blade." She'd always found knives to be super cool, and now she got to learn how to use them. It was a dream come true, not to mention apparently she was doing a decent job at it!

"Think you can remember that move?" Ezio asked, and Elsa nodded. "Alright. Now, for the next one, it's almost the same thing, but you start with the knife at your shoulder, like this," he put his right hand near his left shoulder. "The difference is, instead of a slicing attack like the last one, this uses the point of the blade. It's best used when your target is standing to the side - in this case, the right side. Follow my lead." He reached his arm out in an arc again, stopping when it was nearly completely straight out to his right side. Elsa copied him, and he stopped her halfway through.

"Hold on, make sure you don't turn the blade upward. That will result in a painful wrist and a failed attack." Elsa straightened her blade horizontally again, not even realizing she had been turning it. She tried it again, this time focusing stronger, and Ezio nodded, pleased.

They continued knife training all afternoon and into evening, Elsa not once wanting to stop. She drank in the lesson, focusing on each tip Ezio had. He had given her two daggers once he'd decided she was steady with a single, teaching her how to dual wield and perform double attacks. The setting sun blazed through the west-facing windows, alerting both of them of the time, and Ezio decided to bring the training session to an end. They were both very pleased with Elsa's progress, and Elsa was eager to learn more. Ezio had also promised her that once he decided she was good with the daggers, he'd teach her how to throw knives, along with deliver poison with a blade (he was hesitant at the idea of her using poison, but she eventually talked him into it).

The two of them ate their dinner, and by the time they were done the sun had set, the only light being the flickering candles. They said their goodnights and went to bed, exhausted.

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Elsa continued her days like that for nearly a month, vigilantly practicing her moves and studying various parchments Ezio had given her about dagger techniques. She was quite a perfectionist, especially when it came to the footing of each move. If it required two steps and a twist, she'd make sure her steps were perfectly timed, focusing on each detail until it became a second nature. She practiced on her own when Ezio was out on missions or renovating certain areas of the city, and when he was home, he would help give her pointers and practice with her.

She also used the nights when he was gone, which were about three-to-five times a week, to bathe. She'd fill a metal basin, which was too small to sit in but she stood and used a cloth. It was on the first floor of the building, and she'd use water from the river or the nearby well, which was somewhat cool, but she didn't mind. Ezio had a large block of goat milk soap with scented oils and olive oil that made her skin soft and clean, not to mention it smelled heavenly. The oils also helped keep her hair soft, to her delight. When she was done bathing, she'd dress herself and just drag the basin outside and dump it near the water.

By then, they'd gone to both the tailor and the blacksmith and ordered another set of clothing like the one she had from the tailor, and they also had the blacksmith make her various leather armor pieces that were thin, but strong. It took about two weeks before the armor was ready, and Elsa was excited that it all fit. It tied and fit snugly to her, not slipping or sliding. She didn't ever wear the armor, because she never left the island - save to visit her horse (who she had named Eron), and to browse the various shops nearby. However, Ezio told her that once he started bringing her with him on certain missions, she'd have to wear her armor.

Occasionally Ezio would be gone for days, then come home and pass out asleep on his bed, not even bothering to remove his armor. When that happened, Elsa would go in and remove it for him, making sure not to wake him in the process, and clean it. He had taught her how to clean both leather and metal armor properly to prevent rusting and wrinkling, so when he would wake up the next day to see his armor, nicely cleaned and polished, awaiting him on his dresser, he'd never fail to thank her.

Over the month Elsa spent training herself, Ezio's leg had fully healed, with just a scabbed scar left to show for it. The two would spar in their free time, practicing free hand combat. Occasionally Ezio would duel her with weapon training, but they'd just use sticks, not actual daggers. He also, after the first week, showed her how to use throwing knives. She wasn't so great with the knives, but she knew the only way to get better was practice, so practice she would.

They didn't talk a lot about much other than the training, though to Elsa's dismay Ezio would ruthlessly tease her any time she did anything even remotely ditzy or goofy. He'd still constantly pester her about the whole "asking what language she spoke", bringing it up at random and making her scowl and smack him on the arm.

Elsa would work herself so hard during the day, using trees or simple posts as practice dummies, channeling all her energy to turning her skills into second nature, that sometimes she'd collapse in her bed before the sun even set, not bothering to eat any dinner or even take the tie out of her hair or remove her shoes. Ezio would return the favor she had so many times given him, removing her shoes and gloves and tucking her into bed, pulling the blanket over her.

He'd watch her sleep for a moment, her face soft and serene. He admired her devotion to the training and was proud of her work, now so much more than he thought he would have been. He knew she relied on him completely, for everything down to even her most basic needs, and that gave him an overwhelming sense of possession over her. He would go out of his way to make sure he kept the pantry stocked with fresh foods, and he'd bring home books and anything he found interesting in stores. At night, if she wasn't too tired, Elsa loved to read the books he had, and he was pleased at that. Not a lot of people of the time could say they could read fluently, not to mention _enjoy _doing so on a regular basis.

Ezio wasn't used to having constant company of another person, and Elsa seemed to know that and always made sure she gave him his space. She knew he enjoyed her company, but she still didn't want to become a burden. She kept the place clean, always did his laundry for him, and never asked for anything, though personally he wanted her to; he wanted her to be content, but he had no idea how to do so if she never voiced her needs. He tried telling her that, but she just smiled and said, "Trust me, I'm quite happy as I am."

Sometimes Ezio would come back from a mission and notice Elsa practicing, completely engrossed in her work. She wouldn't notice him there, and he'd use that advantage to watch how she performed when she thought no one was looking. He enjoyed how diligent she was, and he always made sure to praise her improvement, shaking his head and claiming he had no idea someone could learn so much so quickly. She would beam at him happily, excited that she was doing well.

Finally, at the end of the month and when a lot of Ezio's projects had died down, he decided it was time he taught her how to climb and free run. It was a necessary skill for any assassin; even the most inexperienced would require the ability to evade pursuers by use of the buildings. He knew she could do it; she was balanced, strong, and fast, all the traits required of a climber.

He came home one evening to find Elsa sitting at a desk and reading a book. He smiled to himself, watching the candle light and blazing deep orange sunlight dance along her red hair, making it seem like a live flame.

_Agh. What is it with me and redheads?_ He thought to himself, smirking.

"Hey, Ezio," she called, not looking up from her page.

"Evening," he said as he unhooked his belt from his waist and hung it over the back of a chair, then followed with his chest plate and his bracers, then his greaves, and finally his hood and cloak, until he was just in his normal clothing. Elsa still didn't look up. This was the normal routine.

"Elsa," he began, and she raised her head to meet his eyes, "I'm thinking we should begin some climbing skills and free running." Elsa's face lit up.

"Really?!" she asked excitedly, folding the corner of her page and closing her book. "That sounds great!"

"Good, I'm thinking tomorrow morning we can start." He spoke louder as he walked into the pantry to grab some food.

Elsa grinned. "Can't wait!" she called back. Ezio returned with an apple, a large chunk bitten out and his mouth full. He gave her a lopsided smile and a thumbs up and went into his room, closing the door for the night.

Elsa went to her room and got ready for bed. Whoo! Climbing was her favorite part about Assassin's Creed. The running across rooftops, the leaping off ledges into haystacks, the free-run sequences that made for quick escapes from pissed guards. She wondered if the whole "leap of faith" was real, and if so, how he managed to aim for the haystack perfectly each time. She knew the leap of faith would definitely not be an easy skill. Nevertheless, she was extremely excited. She'd gotten fairly good at daggers in just one month, obtaining enough skill to at least be able to defend herself against the average Joe. Hopefully, with her luck, she'd be able to get this whole climbing thing down with ease just like the daggers.

With that thought, she smiled, blew out her candle, and fell asleep.

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**Edit here! Sorry, it might be a few more days before I update my next chapter. Lots of family visiting and such. **

**But thank you all so much for reading, and all reviews are welcome! Reviews help me get an idea of your opinions, not to mention they give me motivation. :) If you can find the time, feel free to voice your opinion on the story, or any suggestions you might have. I aim to please!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Agh! I'm SO sorry for the late update. Life is hectic and tends to do unexpected things. However, I've got at least the next 3 chapters all laid out and outlined, ready to be written, and I've tried to make this one a little longer to make up for the wait.**

**Also, a quick note: If you haven't noticed, I've been slightly altering the timeline of the game to fit the nature of my FF. Elsa's arrival within the story has an expected ripple effect, but I'm trying to at least stick somewhat close to the plot. Sorry if it goes out of order, I'm doin' my best. :)**

**Hawkbelly: Thank you so much for the wonderful review! You have no idea how happy that made me! :D As for growing a mutation from the story's radiation, oh goodness I certainly hope that doesn't happen.. If so, I hope it's something cool like in X-Men.. ;)**

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**Also, if you all wanna try something fun, go look up "City of Rome - Assassin's Creed Brotherhood OST" and listen while you read. OH THE NOSTALGIA! (I listen to it occasionally while I write, along with other AC soundtracks.)**

**Thank you all for reading, hope you enjoy this chapter!**

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Elsa woke to a broad hand gently shaking her shoulder. She stirred and opened her eyes to Ezio sitting on the side of her bed, bidding her good morning.

"Rise and shine, Elsa," he said with a slight smile as his eyes traveled to Elsa's unruly bedhead.

"Ugh! Ezio! What time is it?!" she grumbled, rubbing her eyes and noting that the window showed no sign of morning sun yet.

"Time for you to get your butt out of bed. The guards are alternating shifts within the hour, and that'll give us a nice window of nearly one hour of guard-free training. They don't particularly like it when we dance around on their rooftops, and I don't feel like causing a commotion. Therefore, I need _you_," he said the word with emphasis, poking her nose, "to get up and get dressed quickly."

Elsa groaned and flopped her head back down onto her pillow in defiance, mashing her face into the fabric as if that would automatically make everything disappear. She curled her knees up and kept her arms wrapped firmly under her pillow, ignoring Ezio as he shook her again and said her name a few times.

Suddenly, she felt Ezio's large hands wrap around her sides, and she shrieked in surprise as he lifted her completely out of her bed. She squealed and started smacking at his arm in vain as he hoisted her up over his shoulder easily like she was a sack of grain. A deep chuckle escaped his throat as Elsa began flailing her feet, swatting his back and trying to squirm out of his grip.

"AAH! Put me down! EZIO! I'm awake now, I promise! Put me dow-HEY!" her shrieks were canceled abruptly as Ezio lifted her back off his shoulder and tossed her casually onto her bed, and she hit the soft furniture with a bounce. She quickly tried to redeem her pride by sitting up straight, crossing her arms, and giving him a glare.

"That was totally uncalled for," she said spitefully while trying to calm her nerves, and he smirked at her, a scarred corner of his mouth turning upward.

"I never do anything without just cause," he said, "And look! You're up! Ah, success!" He clapped his hands animatedly and chuckled slightly. "Get dressed quickly, we needn't waste more time than we already have."

Elsa gave Ezio one last glare before huffing and shooing him out of her room. She quickly changed from her looser pajamas, (which were actually just clothes Ezio had lent her that she ended up keeping), into her white shirt and brown trousers, then donned her athletic sneakers and put her hair up in a simple ponytail, tying it with a thin strip of cloth. She put on her gloves, which had been cut off at the finger tips. She had done this for versatility and gripping, though her palms could still be shielded from chafing by weapons or climbing. The sun still hadn't risen, and there was barely a trace of daylight in the sky. It was practically still nighttime. Elsa grumbled incoherent angry words to herself.

She stretched her arms a bit as she walked out and greeted Ezio, who was now wearing everything but his heavy metal armor. He looked at her, quirking a brow.

"That was fast," he said, both of them walking toward the exit door.

"Would've been faster if you hadn't tossed me around like a ragdoll," Elsa retorted, still hung on the subject. She wasn't legitimately mad, just annoyed, not to mention it didn't help that she wasn't a morning person. Ezio knew this, and he took her jabs lightheartedly, laughing and patting her on the shoulder, though not saying anything.

Elsa and Ezio walked a ways away from the hideout, crossing the Tiber bridge and reaching a church-looking building. Morning sun was just barely peeking in the sky, giving it a soft navy-grey hue. Some stars were still visible, but they were fading rapidly. The cold moist morning air greeted Elsa and she inhaled, the cool air refreshing her and rejuvenating her senses. There were no people about, all of them most likely in their homes, still sleeping peacefully.

Ezio walked over to the side of the church, showing Elsa a place to start her climb.

"You want me to just... start climbing?" she asked hesitantly.

"What else would you do?" he asked amusedly, and she rolled her eyes and turned toward the building.

There was a notch in the large stone bricks, and Elsa discovered that her feet fit in the spaces where the bricks came together. She reached up and grabbed a hold of a brick as high as she could reach and began hoisting herself up, climbing the bricks like one would a rock wall. She got up about ten feet and hesitated for a moment, reassuring her grip and looking down. Ezio was standing beneath her still, watching her intently.

"Everything alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm good. Am I supposed to go all the way up?" she asked him, and he nodded.

"Yes, if you can. The roof is nearly flat. I'll stay down here until you make it to the top."

Elsa took a deep breath and kept climbing. She was over halfway there, the roof not being more than twenty feet up, but it was still nerve-wracking climbing something that high with only small indentations as footholds. She slowly and carefully made her way all the way up, grasping the roof with both hands tightly and pulling herself up to the top. She was silently thanking herself for not skipping out her upper body training this past month; her daily workouts had definitely helped this situation. She peered her head over the side and called out to Ezio.

"I made it!" she called excitedly, and he smiled. He began to climb up as well, and Elsa's eyes widened as she saw how quickly he sped up the wall. He was practically running up the building, and within five seconds he had scaled the whole thing and was standing on the roof next to Elsa. She gawked.

"Holy shit!" Elsa gushed, "I knew you were good at climbing, but..." she trailed off, still staring at Ezio with eyes wide. "How am I supposed to learn to do that?!" her voice went up an octave as she ended her question. Ezio chuckled.

"Ah yes, well, I've had thirty years of practice. Don't worry, we'll make an expert out of you yet." he assured her, patting her shoulder, then turned, looking out over the rooftops of the city. Elsa copied him, taking in the incredible sight. The sky was lightening in the east, though the sun hadn't appeared yet. Rooftops stretched out into the distance, fading into the morning fog that rose into the air. She whirled around when she heard footsteps approaching swiftly behind her, instinctively grabbing Ezio's arm and putting a hand to her dagger that rested in its sheath at her hip. He turned and his eyes brightened when he saw what she saw.

"Remigio, my friend! I've been expecting you!" Ezio exclaimed, walking over and greeting a young man with what Elsa could only describe as a bro-hug. Ezio took Remigio's hand and pulled him into a quick hug, slapping him on the shoulder before releasing him. Remigio grinned back and turned to Elsa.

"And you must be Elsa?" he said, walking forward and taking Elsa's hand into his own, giving her gloved knuckles a quick kiss before releasing it. "I am Remigio, though you may call me 'Remi'." He took a bow, and Ezio spoke up.

"Elsa, Messere Remigio is a part of the Thieves' Guild. I've asked him to train you while I am busy and he has happily obliged. Don't worry, he's quite good and I'm sure you will learn quickly. Though, I'm pretty sure we all know who the master is here. I can still beat him in any race." Ezio said and reached out and ruffled Remi's curly hair playfully, disheveling a bandana he had tied around his forehead. Remi ducked and grinned a lopsided grin and readjusted the band before speaking.

"Ezio tells me you are a fast learner," he said happily, flashing Elsa a smile, "I look forward to working with you."

Elsa stared at the guy for a moment. He looked in his twenties, no doubt dressed like the thieves from the game. His hair was jet black but his eyes were strikingly blue, his brows arching deeply and giving him a very fascinating appearance. He stood shorter than Ezio, about 5'8", and his build was somewhat lanky though muscular. Elsa found him quite attractive.

"I uh... Yeah," she stuttered, and quickly added, "I mean - me too!"

Remi smirked at her and turned to Ezio as Ezio started speaking.

"I have some business with Bartolomeo and the mercenaries, and I may be gone a while, a few days at most. Also - Elsa, do not be alarmed if someone arrives at the isle hideout later today. I recruited a man, Stefano Spallone, to join the guild. He has decent combat skill and will no doubt prove a useful ally. By the end of this month I am hoping to find a few more to join us." With that, Ezio nimbly leaped across onto another roof nearby and ducked out of sight.

Elsa raised her eyebrows. This was news indeed. She'd expected Ezio to recruit more people eventually, but not this early. Nevertheless, she was excited to have a new sparring partner and was eager to meet the guy. She turned her attention back to Remi as he cleared his throat.

"So," he began, looking her straight in the eyes and crossing his arms, cocking his head slightly, "Ezio says you don't have a lot of experience at scurrying about the rooftops, but I'm thinking we should get to work straight away. How fares your basic running? Can you run far distances?"

"To be honest I'm more of a sprinter; I'm not so great at distance. I'm somewhat fast... Although, compared to you I'll probably be about the equivalence of a snail..." Elsa said, shrugging. Remi smirked a bit before continuing, his eyes lighting up.

"Indeed? Well then, how about you try this!" he nearly shouted the last word as he began sprinting toward the edge of the building and took a flying leap onto another roof. He landed easily, making it look like he was casually walking on stepping stones, even though the gap between the two roofs looked about five or six feet. Elsa hesitated. If she fell, she could seriously injure herself, but then again it was only five feet. She could nearly jump that far just standing; a running start would be no problem... Hopefully.

Her heart began racing as she prepared herself. Remi nodded encouragingly, raising his hands and beckoning her to come to him. She took a deep breath and started running across the nearly-flat roof, then launched herself forward with all of her might. She briefly panicked in the split second she was in the air but was quickly relieved when her feet hit the surface of the roof, clearly covering the gap and then some. She had gone nearly twice the distance- a jump of about ten feet, earning an excited round of applause from Remi.

"Fantastic! And here I thought you'd fall to your death!" he nudged her with his elbow playfully.

"Oh? Thanks for the support," Elsa grumbled, "Honestly, I'm not _that_ bad!"

"We'll see about that!" Remi chuckled. He continued to lead her along the roofs, teaching her how to land correctly so as to not injure her ankles or feet in the process. He started out small, sticking to shorter gaps and making sure she got her footing just right each time.

After about half an hour, he upped the pace. Whenever they would reach an exceptionally large rooftop, Remi would sprint alongside her, and they would both leap across. Elsa would land, although more clumsily than Remi, correctly.

The two of them practiced until Remi saw guards returning to their posts on the rooftops. He led Elsa along the roofs toward Tiber isle, avoiding the gaze of the archers, and they reached their destination quickly. Elsa climbed down off the roof on a ladder, and Remi did the same, skipping the last three rungs on the ladder and landing lightly on the ground.

"I trust you can make it back from here?" Remi asked her, and she nodded, smiling.

"Yep! Thanks for your help, Remi. Will I train with you again?" Elsa asked, not even bothering to hide the hopefulness in her voice. She liked the guy. He was supportive and friendly- if a little cocky- not to mention he wasn't half bad to look at either.

Remi bowed and smiled at her. "Of course, my friend! You've still got a lot to learn! The guards change their shifts at both dusk and dawn. I will be available in the wee morning hours, so meet me at this location every morning right before the sun rises. As for right now, I've got to return to my other duties. I will see you tomorrow!"

Elsa waved goodbye as Remi took off down the street, smiling to herself. All that running had tired her out already, and she'd only been doing it for an hour. She definitely had a lot to do before she could maintain the stamina that Ezio had.

* * *

Later that day, Elsa had done her exercises and a little bit of weapons training on her own and was sitting at a desk, reading a book of collective poems by various authors. The literature of this century was both fascinating and confusing at times. Ezio would bring Elsa books when he could. So far he had brought five, which was apparently impressive, because not a lot of people kept books for leisure, and therefore they were not common in shops. Elsa liked them; they helped occupy her time and keep her brain busy, and at the same time she could rest from her training.

She was reading a particularly dramatic poem when a knock came at the door. She jumped up swiftly, remembering what Ezio had said about his new recruit, and ran to the door. She had no idea what to expect. She knew it would be a man, but other than that she was at a loss. She opened the door and a rough-looking man, probably in his thirties, stood there apprehensively, unsure how to react to the woman in front of him.

"Stefano?" Elsa asked, also wary. The man quirked his brow and nodded.

"Y-yes," he stuttered in a gruff but nervous voice. Elsa smiled at him.

"Come in! Ezio said you might show up!" she exclaimed excitedly, happy to have company. "Will you be staying here then?"

Stefano walked inside, marveling at the impressiveness of the interior of the building. He looked at Elsa confusedly when she asked him the question. "No, I have my own home," he said simply. Elsa waited for him to continue but he didn't.

"But...?" she asked.

"But," he began, appearing uneasy at the concept of conversation with her, "Messere Ezio said I was welcome to stay and train. Is this where he trains us?" he asked, motioning toward his surroundings.

"Mmhm! It's quite a nice setup, don't you think?" Elsa hummed, walking into the middle of the room. Stefano followed, taking it all in.

"It is... Impressive." Stefano noticed a room to the side that contained racks upon racks of various swords and axes and blunt weapons.

"You must've made an impression on Ezio for him to invite you into his guild," Elsa attempted to strike conversation with the man. He just nodded, keeping his mouth shut.

_Oh well, he's a quiet guy, nothing wrong with that,_ Elsa thought to herself. Maybe she'd just ask Ezio about him later.

"Well..." Elsa began, "Ezio said he won't be back for possibly a few days. Apparently something important is forcing his attention. What exactly is your story?"

Stefano shrugged. Elsa noticed he had relaxed ever so slightly from when he first came in. He began to speak, surprising Elsa when he actually said more than a single sentence.

"Ezio said he was initiating his own assassin guild and that he'd like me to join. I have weapons training; I was a guard at one time, matter of fact. That's the whole reason I'm here: my superiors didn't like the fact that I refused to remain under their employ. They showed up to collect and Ezio conveniently came to my aid. If it's a choice between working under Borgia tyranny or fighting against it, I'd gladly choose the latter. And now, here I am."

Elsa nodded, impressed. "What sort of weapons do you use?" she asked.

"Oh, actually I prefer the mace or cudgel. I know how to use a sword, sure, but something about thumping someone upside the head with a large heavy object is just... satisfying." Stefano held a perfectly straight 'matter-of-fact' look on his face, but Elsa could hear a glint of humor in his rough voice.

Elsa burst out laughing. Okay, this guy was alright. "I see... So, I'm actually pretty new to my training. I've only been doing it for barely over a month. If you'd like, we could practice together."

"Indeed. Are we the only ones then?" he asked, looking around.

"So far, yes. Ezio mentioned something about wanting to recruit more by the end of the month, though. All in good time, I guess."

Stefano nodded. "I actually was stopping by today for just a bit. I'll be back soon, though. Probably tomorrow. A pleasure meeting you, Miss Clearwater."

"You too, Messere Spallone. Can't wait to start practice!" she said with a smile, waving as he left.

* * *

Two weeks later, Ezio still hadn't returned. After the seventh day of him not coming back, Elsa began to worry. She would still do everything she had planned, such as wake up early and climb, run, and exercise with Remigio, practice with Stefano when he showed, and practice on her own. But, she couldn't help losing sleep and occasionally she'd catch herself pacing the stone floors. By the morning of day fifteen, Elsa was practically a wreck.

She was climbing with Remi - they were currently working on how to keep up speed while using overhanging beams as steps - but she couldn't seem to focus. Her mind was on Ezio, and she hadn't realized she had scrunched her face into a stern glare, worry etching across her features. Remi noticed, though, and he stopped her abruptly once they reached the top of the current building they were climbing.

"Elsa, hold on," he said, grabbing her arm before she could run to the other side of the roof like they normally would have. She halted, confused, looking around for guards or any reason he'd have for pausing the training session.

"W-what?" she asked, her breathing quick due to the workout.

"What's wrong?" he stared intently at her, his piercing blue eyes boring into hers. She looked at him questioningly.

"Nothing..? Why?" she had no idea what he was talking about; did he think she was injured?

He shook his head, taking a step forward almost accusingly, "That's not true. You've had this pathetic look on your face for the past hour, not to mention you're so distracted you didn't even bother to check for footholds, just fumbling blindly with no regard for your safety. Something is wrong. Spit it out."

Elsa frowned at his interrogation and sighed. Oh, _that_. "Um... it's Ezio," she said slowly, afraid she might sound stupid, "he's been gone an entire two weeks. He has never been gone that long before, and I just..." she trailed off, not sure how to turn her worried thoughts into coherent words, "Before he left, he told me he would return in just a few days."

Remi raised his eyebrows. "I saw him at our thieves' headquarters just yesterday, talking to La Volpe."

"What?!" Elsa squeaked in disbelief.

"He looked perfectly fine, Elsa, if a bit stressed. You needn't worry."

Relief washed over her and she felt this invisible weight lift off of her chest. Something else hitched in her brain, though. Annoyance. She couldn't help it. He'd been AWOL for half a month, driving her up the wall with worry, and he was perfectly fine. He hadn't even thought to give her a quick heads up. All that for nothing. She pursed her lips.

Remi watched Elsa for a moment, her face switching from relief to something he recognized as 'pissed'. He'd been around enough angry women to know that look, and for once it wasn't directed toward him, so it was funny. He chuckled a bit but quickly nudged her shoulder once he saw the guards climbing the ladders to their posts.

"Come on, let's be done for the day," he said, and they both made their way to the ground and back to the hideout.

Elsa glowered all the way there. She was pissed, though she wasn't sure why she was so upset. Yeah, Ezio had worried her, but this was no reason to get worked up about. He was fine, and that was what mattered. She couldn't shake the feeling though, and she had the urge to slap someone in the face. _He's just lucky he's not here right now,_ she thought as she approached the hideout building and climbed the ladder.

She reached her room and went to change her sweaty clothes, but then decided she needed a bath. Stefano wasn't coming today, and apparently Ezio was off minding his own business doing who knows what, so she didn't worry.

She walked down to the first floor where the washtub was and filled the basin slowly, taking trips back and forth from a well nearby. She took her time, enjoying the feel of the cool water on her skin and the smell of rose and lavender oil in the soap. She felt the stress and tension slowly ebb away, though the annoyance still bit at her. Aromatherapy at its finest. When she was finished she covered herself in a small, simple linen towel and skipped up the stairs to the main hall.

She opened the door and froze when she suddenly came face-to-face with a very surprised-looking Ezio. If she had walked any further forward she would probably have run into him. He was holding an apple in his hands and had a small bite of it in his half-open, gawking mouth. Before he could catch himself, his eyes raked over her barely-covered figure, her exposed skin glistening in the water that still fell from her hair in droplets. He felt his breath hitch and he raised his brows, looking at her with wide eyes, speechless.

"You-" was all Elsa could muster, her hands desperately grabbing at her towel and trying to somehow make it stretch across her further. She didn't dare pull it up any higher, deciding cleavage was a better direction than flashing him her lady parts. The towel covered what it needed to, but she still felt extremely exposed. He was in between her and her room, so there was no way she could flee the scene.

Ezio's eyes were still wide and he finally swallowed his bite of apple and cleared his throat. He'd seen his share of women, but for some reason this encounter made him blush a deep scarlet. He looked away from her for her sake, fighting the urge to stare. "I uh.. Um-" he was stuttering, unsure of what to do, "I'm just going to..." he backed away a bit, giving her some space and opening the path to her room.

"Y-yeah, I didn't know you were.. back..." Elsa was blushing herself, and she quickly escaped the situation by hastily stepping into her room and closing the door. Holy crap. What just happened? She didn't realize she was breathing quickly until she had sat down on her bed. She tried to calm her nerves. She'd always been so modest around him; in the time she'd spent living there, she had taken care to stay fully clothed, not even allowing her shirt to come unraveled at the chest. She did so for his sake, in case it would make him uncomfortable. Rather than feeling embarrassed for herself, she felt embarrassed for Ezio. She had just put him in a hell of an awkward situation. Ugh.

Elsa got dressed quickly, but she contemplated just staying in her room for all of eternity. She listened at her door and heard nothing, so she slowly creaked the door open and peered out. It looked safe, so she walked out into the room.

"Oh, so _now_ you decide to wear clothes." Elsa jumped at the sound and whirled around. Ezio was sitting casually in a chair at a desk, his head cocked to the side, his chin turned down a bit and his dancing eyes regarding her. A corner of his mouth was turned up in a smile. After what had just happened, this look seemed almost provocative. Elsa shrugged that thought away quickly.

"What, you prefer I didn't?" Elsa asked, shooting him a teasing look, relieved that he wasn't acting awkward around her.

Ezio quirked a brow and licked his lower lip slightly, but he spoke in a light and playful tone.

"Perhaps."

Elsa froze for a split second. This was the first time Ezio had ever come close to legitimately flirting with her. Sure, he constantly made fun of her and drove her up the wall, but this was different. The look in his eyes made her nerves stand on end.

_And all it took was being apart for two weeks and my being half naked,_ she thought sarcastically, smirking to herself.

"Hey. You're not allowed to flirt with me when I'm mad at you," she said, crossing her arms but not able to fight the small smile on her mouth. He stood up out of his chair and walked around the desk to her so that he was looking down into her eyes. She had never previously been fazed by him when he did this, but this time his closeness had a... strange air about it.

"Mad at me? Care to explain my crimes?" he implored, a smile still slightly playing at his lips.

"You were gone for two weeks. _Two weeks_. And not once did you even stop by to tell me whether you were okay!" Elsa was complaining to him. She wasn't yelling, nor did her tone sound angry. She _wanted_ to sound angry, but now in person she couldn't bring herself to do so.

"You were worried about me?" he asked incredulously, the smile fading into an apologetic look.

"Of course I was, you nitwit. You said you'd be gone a few days, and you always come back when you say you will!" her annoyance had nearly gone away completely, but she wasn't going to let him off the hook. He'd taken time to visit the thieves' headquarters, which wasn't too far from the hideout, but not time to stop by.

"Elsa," he said with a soft chuckle, and he brushed a damp curl out of her face and behind her ear and his hand paused on the side of her face, "You needn't worry about me. In case you didn't know, I've sort of held my own for nearly my entire life."

Her skin prickled at his affectionate touch. She cleared her throat, fighting a blush. "I know that, Ezio, I do. But still, you could at least have the decency to give me the peace of mind."

He smiled again and took a step forward. Elsa wondered if he was this friendly with everyone or just a select few. "As you wish," he said, his honey eyes holding hers.

She suddenly realized how close they had gotten. Ezio was so close their chests were nearly touching, and his hand was still lingering on her cheek. This time she couldn't fight the blush that creeped up her chest and onto her cheeks. She took a deep breath, trying to clear her mind.

"Th-thank you," was all she could say. Ezio noticed how flustered she had become under his touch and smirked to himself before taking a step back and pulling his hand away.

"So, how's your training with Remigio?" he asked casually as if nothing was out of place, turning toward his desk and straightening out some of the papers. Elsa took another breath and tried to calm herself. She never _ever_ thought Ezio would make a move with her, nor did she expect him to have such an effect on her in doing so.

"Fine, I'm definitely better than I was at first," she said and Ezio nodded approvingly, still turned away.

"Good, good. Also, I should inform you that I've recruited a few more people. A young woman, Beatrice Simoni, and two men, Valentino Virga and Guido Tuccerini. They'll be here within the week, I'm guessing... By the way, did Messere Spallone ever show up?" Ezio spoke as he worked, organizing different papers to different piles. They seemed to be scribbled notes, and Elsa noticed a lot of them had the same signature. She studied them and then realized after a while that they were assassin contracts from Machiavelli. Her mind had wandered and she didn't realize that Ezio asked her about Stefano.

"You still in the 15th century, Elsa?" Ezio asked with a smile, waving his hand a little and bringing her attention back to him.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," she said, batting his hand away, "Stefano comes every other day and we train. He's really good.. he's been showing me a few different techniques that might prove themselves useful."

"Yes, I hoped that would happen. I'm glad you're getting along. He seems a good man, if a bit distant."

"I don't know about distant. He's pretty friendly once he gets to know you," Elsa said happily, and Ezio turned to look at her.

"Oh, and I'm sure his friendliness has nothing to do with the fact that he gets to train a beautiful woman in the art of executing Templars," Ezio said sarcastically, giving her that look again that made her heart speed up.

"Beautiful, is it? What's come over you today?" Elsa asked, crossing her arms with a sly grin and trying to come off as more confident than she was.

Ezio let out a laugh. "Let's just say I missed you, and I'll leave it at that," he said in his rich accent.

Elsa gave him a nod, still smirking, and went to get her daggers to practice. Ezio watched her go, the image of her standing in a thin towel and dripping wet flashing through his mind randomly. He shook his head, trying to clear his mind and preserve her innocence as well as what was left of his own. This woman was something else, not just another 'conquest', and he was determined to keep it that way. Besides, she probably hadn't even considered him in such a way. And, to be honest, if that was true, he would be completely fine with it. She was quickly becoming a great friend and a formidable ally, and that alone he could live with.

Ezio shook his head, looking back down at his papers. What had actually kept him away so long was that there was a creeping suspicion between him and La Volpe that Machiavelli was a traitor. If that proved to be true, nearly everything Ezio had worked on thus far in Rome could be at stake, including the sanctity of the Tiber Isle hideout and everyone there. This, no doubt about it, was going to be interesting.

* * *

**Yes, I know, so cheesy.. But I had so much cheesy fun writing it. :) **

**Sorry it left off abruptly. Honestly between this chapter and the next there's not really a _good_ place to stop it. But I did my best.**

**Please review! :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Yet another chapter! Huzzah!**

**As of right now, I think I'll be working on making weekly updates. I won't make any promises, but that'll be my goal. :)**

**Hope you enjoy, please review!**

* * *

**~Slight NSFW warning for this chapter. It's really not bad. Almost nothing. But just a warning here for those of you who prefer such things. **

**Also, a bit of gore warning near the end. Lots happens in this chapter! It's CRAZY!**

**If you find any grammatical errors or get confused, please notify me and I'll clear it all up. I proofread, but I'm not perfect. :D**

* * *

For nearly a week after their interesting reunion, Elsa and Ezio had been working with the other four recruits. Valentino and Guido proved to be just as good or better than Stefano in their weapons training, and Elsa wasn't surprised. They were both quite tall and built like linebackers. Beatrice was a little less skilled, but she was still quite good. It was obvious they'd all had some sort of training before Ezio found them.

Something Elsa found interesting was that Valentino was one of the first blonde people she'd seen in Italy. She'd seen a few here and there, but for the most part, it was dark hair and skin. He had dark eyes and a tan complexion, but his hair was light, which was oddly striking. He, like many of the men Elsa had encountered, kept his hair long and pulled back into a ponytail at the base of his neck, a style she was becoming quite fond of.

One night when Ezio returned from doing who-knows-what and the others had left, Elsa walked over to speak to him. He was in his room, removing his heavy metal chestguard and appeared deep in thought. She'd noticed his mood had been gradually falling lower and lower, as if something was weighing him down, and she wanted to help.

"Ezio," she said, walking over and helping him untie and remove his shoulder guards. He sighed and furrowed his brow before he looked at her. She continued, "is everything... you know, alright?"

Ezio flinched a little and looked at the floor. He'd done his best to hide his worry about Machiavelli from her, but apparently that hadn't worked. Could he tell her what was going on? He didn't want to involve her in something this critical, but at the same time maybe it'd be best if she knew. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, and he just sighed.

Elsa knew that look. She hadn't seen it on him before, but she'd seen it on her parents' faces enough times that she knew if she didn't do something about it, whatever it was that was worrying him would eat away until there was nothing left.

"Hey," she said, pulling his face toward hers so he'd look her in the eyes, "I want to help, so let me." She saw Ezio's eyes tighten and his mouth turn into a firm line, but then he finally softened after a moment once he saw the sincerity in her eyes. He had gone so long without having someone care like this that it seemed foreign to him.

"It's..." he began, still hesitant, "It's all very complicated. I'm concerned - I mean, I have reason to believe that.. well, Niccolo Machiavelli may be consorting with Cesare Borgia." Elsa raised her eyebrows, concerned.

"Wh-What?" she said quietly but urgently, placing one of Ezio's gauntlets on his desk as he stretched his now-free arms and legs.

"That's why I've been gone so much. I've been trying to find his contacts, or anyone who could be of use to deliver some sort of proof of his actions. So far, it's all been dead ends, and I'm practically getting grey hairs just trying to keep La Volpe from Machiavelli's throat. I have only so much time before it boils over and leaves me with the decision to end a man I've trusted for so long. It is... taxing." Ezio finished with a sigh, and he looked almost relieved to have finally let it all out. He sat down on his bed, clenching his jaw and staring at his palms.

Elsa thought it over for a bit. Machiavelli, a traitor? No way. Not possible. Not him, of all people, not a man Ezio practically treated like family. Ezio had dealt with enough betrayal in his life, and something like this would not go over easy, if it proved to be true.

Elsa sat down next to him, stretching her legs out straight in front of her before letting them dangle over the bed. She smiled internally at how short she was compared to Ezio; his feet were touching the ground and she couldn't do so even if she pointed her toes. She sobered up and, not knowing what to say, she reached over and bravely took his hand in hers, wrapping her fingers with his. He raised his head a little and looked at her hand in surprise, but didn't remove his own. She took this as a good sign and began to speak.

"Ezio, if there's anyone who has the ability to figure this out, it's you. You're the most brilliant man I know, and that's saying something. Don't forget that you have five loyal followers who will, to the best of our ability," she said while twirling her dagger in her empty hand between her fingers, "support you one hundred percent. You aren't alone in this, I promise." Ezio turned his head slightly to look at the red-haired woman sitting beside him. She had sheathed the blade and was staring down at the hand she'd claimed, absentmindedly brushing her thumb over his. She continued, quieter this time, "Whatever you need, I'm here."

Ezio frowned and looked back into his lap, thinking back to what she had said about helping to the best of her ability. He pictured her in the midst of the chaos he'd seen while fighting his enemies and shuddered. Though he may have originally intended for her to be an assassin or a warrior, he couldn't bear the thought of throwing her into danger-infested missions, risking her life for his own goals. Competent as she was, there was no way he'd be allowing her to fight for him. She could stay back out of the fighting and the turmoil and read her books and practice climbing and knives all she wanted, but he was definitely not going to let her directly join him in his particular line of work. He'd lost enough of the people he cared about, and she wouldn't be added to that list.

He halted his thoughts. He had finally admitted to himself that he cared about her, and if he was to be completely honest, it certainly wasn't on just a friendly level. The last woman he'd felt this way about had died in his arms, and the fact that he so readily allowed these feelings in surprised him.

He frowned to himself, still deep in thought.

Elsa watched him concernedly, not sure whether to take his silence as a good thing or a bad thing. She waited, holding his hand in hers, and stared at the floor, watching the shadows from the candles dance about. They sat like that in contemplative silence for a good minute or so before Ezio stirred. He gave her hand a tight squeeze before letting it go and standing up.

"Elsa," he said with a strained smile, "You don't have to coddle me. I have dealt with these things on my own, and I still can." Elsa had the growing suspicion that his ego was getting the best of him and that it was only his force of habit that made him cover up like this.

Elsa stood as well and placed a hand on his arm, "That doesn't mean you should," she said softly.

Ezio blinked at her, a somber look flitting across his features. He said nothing, but Elsa could tell that what she said hit home. It was time for him to get out of the solo mindset he'd spent so long building. If he needed help, now he could ask for it. No one deserves to be completely alone.

A few moments passed, and Ezio took a deep breath and relaxed a little. "Thank you, Elsa. Honestly," he gave her a half smile and turned toward his bed.

"Anytime," she said with a sincere smile and turned to go, but she stopped when Ezio spoke.

"Elsa," he said, and she turned back to look at him, pausing in his doorway.

"Yeah?" she asked, looking at him expectantly. He froze, opening his mouth for a moment, speechless. He stood there for a few painfully silent moments and then spoke quickly.

"Uhh-I... I just wanted to let you know I restocked the pantry." He looked away and started fiddling with a stray string on his sleeve.

Elsa looked at Ezio's flustered expression quizzically and smirked and waved a hand, "Good to know I won't starve then," she said, and walking out of his room, "Night, Ezio."

"Goodnight," she heard his rich accent as she walked over and blew out the flame of the only lit candle in the main hall, surrounding herself in darkness. From where she was standing, she could still see Ezio in his room, the faint light of the flames giving him a glow. She watched him as he smoothed a thin blanket over the top of his bed, then placed the pillow on it. He sighed, staring at the pillow, and then straightened up and pulled his tunic up over his head and off, leaving him shirtless. Elsa immediately held her breath. Holy mother of all things beautiful, this man was attractive. His sculpted, olive skin was practically shimmering in the dim light, and as he folded his shirt she saw each toned, taut muscle of his slightly-fur-laden chest and broad arms flex and extend. It was mesmerizing, and Elsa immediately caught herself before she let her mind wander to more risque things.

She had to practically tear herself from where she was standing and force herself to look away in order to make her way to her own bedroom and got in bed. It was dark, the quiet night lulling her, and she promptly fell into a vivid dream.

* * *

_A deep moan resonated from the assassin's throat. He gripped her tighter against him, and pleasure coursed throughout her entire body, frying the nerves from her fingers to her toes. In a moment of fervor, his lips gripped hers passionately, dominantly, possessively and without restraint. She gritted her nails against his back, arching her body to meet his, the pressure almost too much to withstand. She heard her name escape his lips, and she cried out as well as he repeated it again and again-_

"Eeeeelsaaaa?" Elsa jolted awake, eyes snapping open and heart beating a mile a minute. She was staring straight into Ezio's golden eyes, and she immediately averted her gaze, feeling indecent for what had been going on so vividly in her mind just thirty seconds ago. It was still dark, and Elsa felt quite groggy.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked, standing next to her bed, still shirtless, and holding a wax lamp, "you were tossing about in your bed, and from the sounds you were making, one would think you were being skinned alive. I was worried.."

Elsa felt her face turn a beet red, and she was thankful the room was somewhat dark. Jeez, wake up from a lurid dream only to have the main attraction standing in front of you half naked. Awesome. Let him think it was a nightmare. Good. If he knew what it really was...

"Uhm, yeah, just a dream," she said uneasily, self-consciously trying to cover her face with her hands to hide the blush. She pulled her covers tightly around herself. Ezio looked at her with worry.

"Are you sure you will be alright?" he asked her earnestly, hesitant to leave.

Elsa smirked. _Better than alright_. "Yes, don't worry Ezio, I'm perfectly fine. Sorry for waking you up."

He nodded warily and smiled a little. "Alright. If you need anything I'm just across the hall."

Elsa thanked him and he left. She scolded herself. _What the hell was that?!_ She wracked her brain for an explanation. Never, never ever in her entire life, had she had a sex dream, and if she had, she definitely didn't remember it like this one. She took a shaky breath and did her best to calm her nerves, breathing slowly and relaxing into her pillow. Sleep took her again eventually, and thankfully this time it didn't involve erotic acts with her mentor.

* * *

The next few days were rather uneventful other than Ezio promised to keep Elsa updated on the Machiavelli front. Then, on a particularly slow evening, Ezio returned to the hideout with a determined expression. He called for Valentino, Stefano, Beatrice and Guido to come with him, and as they quickly donned their armor Elsa ran up to Ezio.

"Ezio, what's going on? What are you doing?" she asked frantically as he refilled his ammo pouches.

"I need to get to the Collosseum quickly. I have a plan but we have to act now. I don't want you going; it's too dangerous and I can't put you in a position like that," he said and Elsa let out a huff. This was a chance to join Ezio as well as visit the Collosseum, and she wasn't going to miss out.

"Can't I at least come along?" she asked, strapping her own armor on, ignoring Ezio's protests.

Ezio sighed, but decided an argument with this girl was impractical. Once she set her mind to something it's pointless to oppose her. "Fine. But," he said, holding up a finger as she finished strapping her greaves on, "Only if you promise you will not throw yourself into danger and you stay hidden. Do not, and I repeat, do NOT, expose yourself. I can't have you getting hurt on my watch, or anyone else's for that matter. It would kill me." He said the last sentence much softer.

Elsa nodded determinedly and sheathed her daggers at her sides. Ezio gave her a look that read, "If you use those, so help me..."

"I'll be fine, Ezio. I've been cooped up here too long; it's time I got out." she said absolutely, and Ezio sighed. The others had just gotten their armor strapped on and Ezio led them out the first floor door. They collected their horses from the stable, and Elsa was delighted to see Eron recognized her. Elsa took the rear and followed the five others through the streets of Rome and out into the countryside. In the distance she saw the Collosseum, rising majestically from the grassy slopes, and excitement tingled in her fingers and toes.

Ezio picked his horse up to a gallop once they hit the dirt and stone roads and the others quickly followed his lead. They wound around jagged rocky cliffs and past trees and around people on the roads. They reached the large amphitheater promptly and dismounted, leaving their horses in a quiet corner beside some trees. Ezio instructed them all to wait, and they did so for nearly fifteen minutes, as they watched him climb up the side of the building and then disappear.

He reappeared holding an armful of what looked like Roman armor and was wearing a set himself.

"What are you wearing?!" Elsa sputtered as he handed four sets to the four recruits.

"We'll be taking part in a play, of sorts. I have to take out a man named Micheletto before he murders a man I absolutely must keep alive. And in order to do so, I need you all to follow me in a 2-by-2 rank and say absolutely nothing. When I move, you follow, and that's it. Elsa, climb up to the first level of the Collosseum and hide yourself. I have removed the gunmen that patrolled the upper levels so you will be safe as long as you stay out of the ground-floor guards' sight. Now, if everyone is ready, we must hurry," Ezio spoke quickly but clearly, his voice commanding and powerful, a voice that could make anyone shut his or her mouth and listen no matter what he had to say.

Ezio walked - more like strutted - in through the arched doorway followed by his costumed recruits, and Elsa, after looking around to make sure no one was watching, shimmied up to the first level of the building. In just a few weeks she'd gotten pretty darn good at climbing. Daily practice and workouts seriously make a big difference.

She saw a large crowd had gathered to see the play, and she realized it was a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. A man was tied up on a cross, spattered with a red dye that was no doubt used to signify blood. He had a crown of thorns on his head and he was shouting out something she could barely understand. She saw that there were three total groups of five Roman guards that would alternate their locations at timed intervals. She wondered which one was Ezio and the recruits. A man held up a spear with a cloth or sponge of sorts on the end to "Jesus", and Elsa realized it had been dipped in liquid. The actor drank from it and continued his dialogue. The Romans moved again.

Before Elsa realized what was happening, one Roman walked up to the cross casually, then practically tackled a man to the ground, knocking the spear out of his hands and causing the other actors to flee in all directions. _He sure does know how to make an entrance, I'll give him that.._

Surprisingly, though, after a few short moments, Ezio stood without killing the man. From Elsa's location, she couldn't hear what he told the man.

Ezio removed his helmet and Elsa heard his commanding voice boom over the commotion. "Cut him down!"

Two others Elsa realized were recruits expertly threw their knives at the bindings that held Fake-Jesus's wrists. She heard complaints from the other actors. "This wasn't in the script!" one said, and Elsa couldn't help but snort. Spot on, random onlooker. Spot on.

The four recruits formed a shield around Ezio as he picked up the actor, who appeared to be suddenly very ill. "Hold off the guards," Ezio ordered, and the four recruits rushed forward to meet the blades of the very-confused guards who had begun rushing in. Ezio took to the sides, trying to stay out of direct sight of the guards, at least fifteen of them now, who were preoccupied with the recruits. The recruits were holding their own quite well, and Elsa saw a smirk on Stefano's face as he pummeled one guard to the ground, his mace colliding with the man's helmet causing a loud "clang" to echo through the stone columns.

Ezio had nearly made it through when suddenly things went downhill. One guard shouted something, and almost every single one of them stopped to stare straight at Ezio, hesitating only a moment before they charged toward him. Elsa took this as her cue. There was no way he could fend off all of these, even with his four helpers, and though she may not be a godsend, she could at least help a little.

She ran as fast as she could to a location that was still above Ezio. He glanced up and saw her crouched and ready to spring once the guards were close enough.

"Elsa, _NO!_" he shouted authoritatively, fear washing over him. She could NOT get involved in this; it was his only order and she was breaking it, to his dismay. He couldn't bear to see her get hurt, or worse, killed. His heart leapt to his throat as she ignored him and launched herself onto a guard who was running straight toward him. She knocked the man out with the blunt of her blade, attacking furiously before he knew what hit him. Ezio was torn between coming to her aid or abandoning the man who was slowly dying of poison in his arms.

"Ezio, we'll be fine! Go! NOW!" Elsa shouted as the recruits joined her, fighting back the wave of guards who still hadn't completely shaken their surprise. Ezio took one last grudging look at the woman who was clashing blades with a man nearly twice her size in weight, and carried the man swiftly away from the building toward a doctor's station which was set up across the road.

Elsa continued fighting, though she never delivered killing blows. Though she was trained to do so, the thought of taking someone's life terrified her. These guards were just doing their jobs, be them good or bad, and she didn't deem such deeds worthy of _death_. The other recruits had apparently taken the same approach, though more than once Elsa heard the sickening slice of a blade hitting flesh. She didn't dare imagine it was one of the recruits receiving a blow like that.

Just as Valentino downed the final guard, Elsa felt a stab of white-hot searing pain in her lower right side. It spread from her side into every part of her body, resonating through her spine and as she breathed in it became more intense. She shrieked involuntarily, her body shuddering at the sudden assault, and her knees buckled beneath her. Beatrice, who was standing to Elsa's left, turned swiftly at the sound. When she saw Elsa's attacker sinking his blade between the straps in her armor, Beatrice unsheathed a knife and sent it straight into the man's neck, causing him to fall to the ground, wailing a guttural, gurgling noise.

Elsa was writhing in pain, and Beatrice ran to her side, kneeling down and trying to put a hand to Elsa's wound. She was bleeding profusely, and each breath she took was a wheeze. The other two men had mowed down all the remaining guards, and this one who had attacked Elsa had been a fluke. They hadn't even seen him before it was too late.

"Valentino! Guido! Help me!" Beatrice called frantically, and the two men turned and paled, joining Beatrice and kneeling down beside Elsa, who was beginning to fade out of consciousness. Her blood loss was causing her to become faint, and her breaths came in short bursts, each one sending flares through her nerves and causing her to grit her teeth and cry out.

"She's fading quickly. We need to get her to the doctor across the road. Now." Valentino picked Elsa up in his arms as gingerly as possible, but she cried out anyways at the pain that followed the jolt. That was the final straw, and Elsa finally let go of what was left of her consciousness, causing her to go limp in Valentino's arms.

Valentino's eyes widened as this happened, and fear gripped the four recruits. He practically ran out of the circular building, jumping over unconscious bodies that littered the arena. There were thankfully no guards on the road, and when they reached the doctor's setup, Ezio was still there speaking to the man who was now sitting upright and appeared much better off than before.

At the sound of multiple footsteps, Ezio turned expectantly, and the sight that greeted him made his heart lurch and his hair stand on end. Valentino was approaching quickly, and the small bloodied bundle in his arms was limp and lifeless and pale. Her red hair was dangling down over Valentino's arm, and her mouth was cracked open slightly. The doctor quickly cleared his table off, shooing the recovering actor aside (who promptly took a step back and watched from a distance) and began to pull out all sorts of tonics and wraps as Ezio just stared, dumbfounded and disbelieving. His brows arched up in a pained expression and his voice shook as he spoke.

"No," was all he could manage to say before he took a step back, watching Valentino place the lifeless body onto the doctor's worktable. The doctor quickly untied her armor straps and removed her chest guard. Her shirt was stained with blood and he removed it as well and left her in only her bra, an action that in any other circumstance Ezio would've danced at the idea of. Right now, though, his vision was turning red. He turned toward the four recruits, anger welling up in his chest. He clenched his fists.

"What. Happened..?" he seethed. He wasn't angry with his recruits so much as he was at everything else. Elsa. Her attacker. Himself. He was livid, though, and the recruits tensed at his sudden flare.

"It was a surprise, the man flanked her before we could react. He snuck up on us. I am so sorry, Mentor. I should've watched her more closely," Stefano stepped forward, attempting to take the blame.

Ezio, still fuming, retorted, "Yes, you _all_ should have. What the_ hell_ were you-" His words were cut short as the doctor cut in.

"Messere, I need you to help me here," the man said, and Ezio lost all of his anger in a heartbeat and ran over to the table. "When I say, you need to place this onto the wound firmly. Pressure is key, and I need you to hold it while I bind it." Ezio nodded, and a flashback of helping Rosa in Venice came to mind. The doctor doused the now-stitched wound with a clear liquid and then patted the excess away, then gave Ezio the signal and Ezio placed the bandage down firmly over the jagged cut that laid just below her ribcage. He felt her stiffen, and took that as a good sign. She was alive, and that alone was something to hold on to.

The doctor then used long, thin bandages to wrap around her entire torso tightly so as to hold the gauzy bandage over the wound, and each time Ezio would lift her slightly so the doctor could slide the bandage underneath her. Ezio knew that this wound would not be easy to recover from. It'd take a month if they were lucky, for Elsa to even manage daily activities.

Once that was finished, Ezio removed the cape he wore over his shoulder and wrapped Elsa in it as a blanket and lifted her into his arms, cradling her gingerly and turning to his recruits, who were standing there silently. He internally scolded himself for lashing out at them, and when he spoke this time it was much softer, though very strained.

"We need to get her back to Tiber Isle quickly, before more guards show up. I'm going to hold her with me on my own horse. You four make sure you get hers. And you," he said as he pointed at the actor, who during all this had shrunken himself against the wall of a nearby house, "I will speak with you soon." Ezio placed a gratuitous amount of coins on the doctor's table, who thanked him and wished him the best of luck. He mounted his horse and Valentino held Elsa up to him, who Ezio placed in front of him in the saddle. She was still unconscious, but he got her in the sitting position, and with one arm wrapped around her left side firmly, he took off toward the island at tremendous speed, doing his best to counter the jolting of the horse with his own balanced arm. It was getting close to dark, and he prayed to every god who would listen that the roads would be clear of bandits tonight.

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He reached the hideout promptly and carried her up the steps, placing her in his own bed. His bed was much larger, and thus lowered the possibility of her rolling off of it by accident. She still hadn't stirred, for which he was grateful. The ride back would've been near torture for her. Though the wound was somewhat serious, it was the blood loss that was the big issue. The doctor said he didn't think the blade had punctured any vital organs, though if they had waited any longer she probably would have died.

Ezio felt a lump form in his throat. He straightened her arms and legs out and smoothed a thin blanket over her, gently placing her head on her pillow and tucking her vivid curls behind her ears. Her expression was oddly peaceful, but the sickly pale of her skin and the ashen grey of her normally-ruby-red lips made him shiver.

Guilt washed over him. He's the reason any of this had happened. He'd trained her, he'd allowed her to come along, and he'd left her in the middle of grave danger to chase a stupid lead for a stupid mission. And here she was, possibly still dying, just another tally mark on the ever-growing list of his dead loved ones. He sat on the bed next to her, softly gripping her hand with his. Although she'd only been with him for a few months, he couldn't deny his feelings any more. This woman had his scarred and tattered heart clutched in her hands whether she knew it or not, and after this event, after he thought he'd lost her forever, he realized there was nothing in this world that could compare to the pain he would endure if she were gone.

"Elsa," he said with a strangled tone, "I know I say I can do all this on my own," he furiously fought back the wave of emotions that took him, his eyes welling a little, though no tears escaped, "But that's not true. I can't bare to lose you. Not you, too. Not after everything we've..." He trailed off, sure that if he continued he'd break down, and squeezed her hand. She stirred slightly, and Ezio half expected her to open her eyes, wink at him, and slap him on the arm for being such a baby.

"But if I left, who'd remain to annoy the daylights out of you when you get home every day?" is what she would say, giving him that undeniably cute playful smirk he'd come to love.

Elsa's face contorted into a frown, and she groaned quietly before slipping back to sleep. The sound was like a dagger to the heart and Ezio floundered helplessly. There was nothing he could do but wait. He looked at her with a pained expression and leaned down, brushing her hair back and giving her a kiss on her forehead before standing up from the bed.

He retrieved a cup of wine and some bread, setting them on the night stand before placing a pillow on the floor beside his bed. He wouldn't dare sleep next to her without her consent, especially if she was injured, but he didn't want to leave in case she needed anything. He pulled a blanket over himself and stared at the ceiling, and sometime amidst his worried thoughts he fell asleep, waiting for the woman he no doubt was beginning to love to come back to him.

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**Oh no! :( Poor Ezio, poor Elsa. I'd have written more, but I'm pushing 28 hours without sleep right now and it's 6:30 AM. xD I'm so nocturnal.  
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**Yes, 'tis quite dramatic, but it can't all be shits and giggles. ;)**

**Will update hopefully within the week. Please review, especially if you have suggestions as to where you want the story to go, or what you want, or what you don't want, or... whatever. I aim to please, my friends!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks to everyone who read/favorited/followed/reviewed! You people make my day! :) **

**Also, I repeat, if you have _any_ suggestions for the story, please let me know! Reviews, PM, whatever floats your boat. I just want to make this as good as I can!**

** Suiya: Thank you sooo much for the happy reviews! As for Mulan.. Hah! That's just absolutely perfect. Now I have it stuck in my head. I could have Ezio break out into song.. "Let's get down to business!"  
****As for 'shipping them.. I'ma 'ship them SO HARD! :D My fangirl side is doing flip flops at this chapter. Just sayin'.**

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**This one's a bit short, sorry about that. Only ~3K words in this chapter. I almost didn't have time to write it, but I got this much in. Consider it.. a "half" chapter. :) I didn't want to leave you all hanging for too long.**

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Elsa was finally roused from her sleep due to a familiar voice in the foyer. It was a woman's voice, a kind voice, and it was speaking in light tones to Ezio. Her heart leapt when she recognized it. Claudia! She hadn't seen that woman for months! Although they'd only spent a few weeks together total, Elsa was missing her something awful. She missed Claudia's witty or feisty remarks that seemed to liven up any day.

She shifted to sit up, but a sharp, angry pain in her side made her breath hitch and she quickly relaxed back into the bed before breathing again.

_Ow._ That hurt. The memories of the Collosseum returned quickly and Elsa's heart sped up. She had no idea if the recruits were alright; all she remembered was the pain, then darkness. She pulled her blankets closer with her left hand, doing her best to move her right side as little as possible. She began to feel cold, weak, worried, and nauseous. Her excitement from a minute earlier was quickly ebbing away. She looked around the room. There was a cup and a small loaf of bread on the bed table, untouched. She cleared her throat, and the voices outside silenced.

One head peeked in her room, then the other. When Claudia and Ezio saw that she was awake, Claudia hurried in and began to fuss over her. Ezio walked into the room but leaned on the wall next to the door and watched silently.

"Elsa! Thank goodness you're awake. Ezio told me what happened, you harebrained woman! What were you thinking, charging off into the middle of a fight like that, ignoring Ezio's warnings? What did you expect to happen, that you would swoop in and save the day?" She was scolding, though Elsa could pick up an affectionate tone in her voice, even if it was buried pretty deep.

"I uhh-Mrrhphh!" Elsa was cut off when Claudia shoved a hunk of bread into her mouth, ordering her to eat. Elsa chewed the piece and swallowed quickly, attempting to speak as Claudia placed another blanket over her and fussed about how pale she looked. Elsa opened her mouth to speak again, but Claudia again stuffed it again.

"You need to regain your strength, Elsa. You lost a lot of blood. Eat now, speak later." Claudia held a hand up to Elsa's forehead and frowned. Claudia's hand felt warm. "You're ice cold!" Claudia exclaimed.

Elsa swallowed her mouthful. "Hello to you too, Claudia..." she said grudgingly, but with a small smile. Her head hurt, too. "Yeah, uh, I'm sorry. About everything," she gave Ezio an apologetic glance, but his face was stoic and expressionless. "I thought Ezio was in trouble. I had to help somehow; I couldn't just not do anything..." she trailed off, unsure of what to say. Claudia gave her a sympathetic look, then shot Ezio a look Elsa didn't recognize.

Elsa knew she had done something really, really stupid. In the heat of the moment, it had _seemed_ like the most reasonable idea: jumping in, fighting off the bad guys. And to boost her pride, she'd actually done a pretty good job. Well, at least up until she got flanked by a rogue guard and stabbed. That sort of dampened the mood of the situation.

Claudia gave her another piece of bread, though this time just handing it to her, not force-feeding. She then handed Elsa the cup of wine, which Claudia had watered down so it tasted more like a flavored water. Elsa wasn't sure if she liked it, but it quenched her thirst, so she didn't mind. The food was helping her to feel quite a bit better. She already felt much less dizzy and was able to lift her head without it spinning.

She cleared her throat again. "Stefano and the others... Is everyone else alright?" she asked Claudia concernedly.

"They're perfectly fine, unlike yourself," Ezio's rough voice made Elsa jump slightly. She'd almost forgotten he was in the room. She looked at him guiltily, meeting his eyes, which were hardened in an almost glare. Claudia looked back at Elsa with raised brows as if to say, "You're in for it now", and stood up.

"I'll go fetch some fruit or something," she said cheerfully, patting a glowering Ezio on the shoulder and stepping out of the room, closing the door behind her.

Ezio took a step forward so he was just out of reach of the bed. "Elsa..." he began, his voice stern, "You deliberately disobeyed my orders. You thrust yourself into danger and nearly paid for it with your _life_. How do you expect me to allow you to continue this training when I cannot trust you to use it wisely? Or, if you're going to end up killing yourself in some foolish heroic attempt?"

Elsa looked at her hands and fiddled with her thumbnail silently. Ezio was completely right. It was her one chance to prove herself and she'd blown it big time. She'd been so stupid. Ezio was fine, everyone was fine. Except her, because she didn't do what he said. He was the expert, not her, and she had the mark to show for it. What she had done, going against him, seemed childish now.

"Ezio, I..." she began but stopped, guilt eating at her. The way he was looking at her made her want to crawl in a hole and never resurface. He wasn't angry, he wasn't sad. He was disappointed, let-down, even. It made her feel horrible. He'd never looked at her with any negativity in the time that they'd spent together these past few months, but now that he was, she decided it was the worst thing in the world.

Ezio saw the emotions flash across her face. The guilt, the shame, and the regret. The way her doleful eyes stared down at her hands made him nearly drop everything. But he needed her to know how serious this was, that she couldn't go off risking her life for his own objectives. He felt guilty too, for bringing her along in the first place, but this was a lesson to be learned for her too. He knew, though, from the look on her face, that she knew her faults. Unable to bear it any longer, Ezio spoke up, speaking much softer now.

"Elsa, what I'm most upset about isn't that you disobeyed me. It's that you apparently felt that your own safety was less important than my own, than what I needed. No matter what," he walked over next to her, sitting down beside her on the bed, and brushed her hair off of her face as he said this. His expression was strained, "The safety of my loved ones is my top priority. Never forget that. If I'd lost you, I could have never, ever forgiven myself." His eyes bored into hers and his hand paused on her cheek, the warmth of his large palm spreading into her still-cool skin.

Elsa fought a blush, confused. She held her breath. Ezio was giving her whiplash. One second he's scolding her, making her feel like the scum of the earth, and the next he's giving her near-cardiac arrest with those honey-toned puppy-dog eyes of his. And wait, what did he say, "Loved ones"? _What?_

"_Well, obviously... If he's threatening eternal agony at the thought of your being gone, he probably cares about you at least a_ little _bit_." her brain retorted back. Shut up, sarcastic logical thoughts.

"You.. you care about me.. like _that_?" she asked quietly, hesitantly, the thought too good to be true. He'd been giving her heart flip-flops since she met him. If he returned those feelings...

"Of course, Elsa!" he raised his hands in the air before letting them fall, "You can be so incredibly thick at times. It's not just anyone who can waltz in and steal the heart of such a fearsome assassin as myself!" He smirked at her.

"Well, that 'fearsome assassin' may have stolen the heart of his apprentice as well," Elsa grinned back, suddenly feeling warm and fuzzy. It was like all the stress of everything that had been going on was suddenly gone, replaced with a sense of euphoria and giddiness. Ezio Auditore loved her. He'd practically just come out and said it. Indirectly, but in her opinion that totally counted. And she'd just returned the favor.

Elsa was finally able to shift so she was almost sitting upright without causing too much pain. The wine, weak as it was, had helped dull the pain a little, not to mention she wasn't feeling half as sick as earlier. Plus the whole love-struck feeling was helping. She grinned at Ezio as she spoke.

"It's about time you admitted it though, Mr. Auditore. I thought I was going to have to beat it out of you."

Ezio put up his index fingers in an "X" in front of him in a mock-block, smirking. "Aha! I _knew_ you wanted to punch me back when we started training. And having you admit it, well," he sighed, shaking his head, "That just proves my impeccable insight. It's as if I have a hidden sixth sense with this sort of thing; maybe I'm psychic." He winked at her and tapped his nose, the scarred corner of his mouth turning up adorably. He was closer now, an arm's length from Elsa, leaning on one arm.

Elsa quirked a brow at him. She was still giddy from his confession. "Psychic, is it? Tell me then, did you predict _this_?" She bravely reached an arm out and grabbed his shirt, pulling him close, causing him to attempt to regain his balance by placing one arm over her against the wall and the other next to her on the bed. He had only a second to react before their lips collided.

Ezio, though originally quite surprised, felt his insides flutter as the woman seized his lips with her own. Relief and excitement flooded through him. He'd just finally admitted his feelings to her, and he had nearly expected her to shut him down for it. It was a big leap, doing something like that, but he was so thankful he took the risk. He'd gone through enough disastrous relationships in his life; it was high time for a good one.

Elsa reveled in the kiss. Ezio's lips were soft and velvety against her own, only slightly rough in that one scarred corner. Elsa made it her mission to own that corner, to claim it. It was like quenching a craving she didn't know she possessed. And from Ezio's reaction, apparently he didn't mind that much at all.

As she pressed her lips further against his, a growl emanated from his throat, and he leaned in, raising a hand to grace the side of her face, his fingers wrapping into the hair at the base of her neck. Being careful not to agitate her wound, he softly pulled her up closer to himself so that his arm was wrapped around her waist, holding her snugly but gently. Elsa felt Ezio's tongue graze across her upper lip and she quickly granted access, savoring every second they spent locked together. By now he had her back pressed down against the bed again, and he held himself up, restraining only due to her injury. Elsa snaked a hand up behind his neck and the other grasped his shirt, and she held him closer, not wanting to let this kiss end for anything. It was perfect, passionate, and honest, not to mention way overdue.

A loud cough broke their embrace, and Ezio quickly pulled himself up, straightening and promptly smoothing out his shirt. Claudia was standing in the doorway looking smug.

"If you two are done," she said smirking, raising a brow at Elsa before continuing, "A doctor is here to see you." She turned and exited the room, her dress swaying as she walked.

Ezio stayed in the room but took a step back away from the bed as a man dressed in doctors' robes approached the doorway. He nodded cordially at Ezio and walked over next to where Elsa was.

"Well, you're definitely looking better than you were two days ago," he said, his voice charismatic. Elsa, assuming this was apparently a doctor who had tended to her, gaped. _Two days?!_ It felt like almost no time had passed. No wonder Ezio had been upset; he had to just sit and wait while she lay there useless and unconscious.

She shot Ezio an apologetic look. The scarred corner of his mouth turned upward ever so slightly, and Elsa couldn't help but stare at it, the flesh memory still imprinted on her lips. When his mouth turned into a full-on grin, Elsa was snapped back into reality. She jerked back and looked at the doctor, who was looking at her quizzically, amused.

"Sorry, what?" she quickly asked, silently cursing her wandering mind.

"I said," he began with a chuckle, "Can you lift up your tunic for me please? I need to check for signs of infection."

Elsa quickly raised her shirt up, stopping mid-ribcage. The doctor gently unwrapped the cloth bandage, and Elsa winced at the pain of newfound lack of pressure on the wound. She then hissed a little when he pried the bloodied cloth gauze off of the cut, and she saw Ezio tense in the corner of her eye. She gritted her teeth harder when she felt light prodding and a stinging liquid substance being poured onto the stitched gash. It hurt, yes, but what was worse was the fact that she couldn't distract her mind from it. All she could focus on was the feeling of the burning liquid seeping into the open cut. It made her cringe. The doctor spoke up after a few minutes, placing a clean cloth onto the cut.

"You're quite lucky; the wound is clean and will heal well. No infection here. Messere, if you could help prop her up while I wrap this," he said, beckoning Ezio over, and Ezio quickly stepped in and lifted her torso off the bed gently, placing himself where her head had been resting and sitting down into the cushions. He wrapped an arm around her good side, holding her snugly with her back against his chest and stomach. He placed his legs on either side of hers, acting as her own personalized cocoon. She felt warmth radiate off of his whole body against hers and small goosebumps prickled up across her skin as a result. She indulged in his almost-intoxicating body heat and a pleasant shudder ran down her back.

The doctor didn't seem at all fazed by Ezio's somewhat intimate hold on the woman and was quite pleased at how he now had easy access to the injury. Surprisingly in all this, Elsa felt little-to-no additional pain even though Ezio had been moving her around, and even more surprising was that he managed to keep her comfortable and provide a way for easy application of the bandages. He certainly knew his way around injuries, that was for sure.

She leaned back and relaxed, resting her head against his chest, waiting for the doctor to finish tying the wraps. Ezio responded by tenderly wrapping his large, warm arms around her, which caused her in turn to relax even more. He smelled like wildflowers and wheat and a certain scent that only appeared during a spring rainfall. She inhaled deeply, relishing in how completely at-peace she felt. It was weird, feeling this serene while still injured and currently having a stranger wrap her stomach with bandages, but all she could think about was the strong arms that held her and the ghost of the kiss that lingered on her lips.

As the doctor worked and Ezio held onto the delicate body in his arms, he felt her cool skin slowly warming against his own. He arched his head down and placed a soft kiss against her head, the lavender scent of her soft, wavy hair putting him at ease as well.

Elsa quickly fell victim to exhaustion, even though she'd only been awake for a total of about thirty minutes. It had definitely been an eventful thirty minutes, no doubt, and her body was utterly failing the demands of her mind to stay awake. The rise and fall of Ezio's chest under her head was nearly hypnotic, and his steady heartbeat mirrored her own. As the doctor finished and exited the room, the last thing Elsa remembered before drifting off to sleep was Ezio lying down flat, pulling a blanket up over their legs and pulling her down against him, making her feel truly at _home_ for the first time in her life.

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**Squeeee! First kiss! Happy times, with a li'l bit of recovery. **

**Thanks for reading, I'll update as soon as I can! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Goodness me, I'm sorry I'm so late. Nevertheless, here's the next chapter, twice as long as the previous. :)**

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**To my reviewers:**

** Solaheartnet: Yeah! Definitely planning on it.. M rating will eventually serve its purpose. ;)**

** Suiya: Ohhhh yes yes yes! Yes please! That would be **_**amazing! **_**I've been really wishing I had a way to get a visual of her. Perfect! Wheee! Can't wait to see it! =D  
Oh, and just ask Ezio for some bread. He's got extra. ;)  
****As for making them race... :O I have the feeling you have somehow gotten a hold of my notes.. Either that or you're psychic. Heheh. I've got that planned as well!**

**Also thank you to my guest for taking the time to review!**

**Much love to you all! :D **

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**Thanks all for your support and thanks for reading.**

******Happy April everyone! :) I've got the other half of the chapter here; hope you enjoy!**

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Elsa had been asleep for the entire next day, and by the time she woke up it was almost nighttime again. When she sat up in bed, she was surprised at how much less painful it was than before. It still hurt, but not nearly as bad as it had before the doctor had come. Whatever he'd doused her wound with had definitely helped, along with a vial of smelling salts Claudia had given her. Apparently, the smelling salts were painkillers, and Ezio carried vials of them wherever he went. That explained the potions in the game, at least. When Elsa used them, they dulled the pain quite a bit, not to mention they helped keep away the fatigue or faintness that accompanied blood loss. Too bad she hadn't used them sooner.

Sometime between Elsa falling asleep in Ezio's arms and her waking up, Ezio had left the hideout. According to Claudia, that morning he had gone to speak to La Volpe about Machiavelli. Ezio still couldn't accept the fact that Machiavelli was truly a traitor, though he was definitely having an extremely tough time denying it. All evidence pointed toward the man, and Ezio was at his wits end. And Elsa's injury was definitely not helping his stress levels.

Elsa was able to be up and around, but Claudia caught her after only being up for about five minutes and she whisked her back into bed.

"You may not feel the pain as strongly as you should, but you've still got to give it time to heal, Elsa!" Claudia exclaimed, surprised Elsa was walking about at all. Claudia herself had been injured enough times, ironically those times lined up to the occasions she was out with Ezio running for her life, to know both what a knife wound felt like and how it healed. Elsa's cut, though not a wide gash, was deep. And that meant it'd take longer to heal. Skin can just stitch itself together within weeks; anything further in would cause it to take longer, a month probably, before it was completely healed.

Elsa decided not to object, (Claudia was as stubborn as a mule) though she was a little miffed that she hadn't thought to grab some books while she was up. Thankfully, Claudia must've read her mind because she came into Ezio's room - now taken over by Elsa - a few seconds later with an armful of books and placed them all onto the bed beside Elsa. She read them in candlelight, and they helped keep her busy for nearly an hour. Claudia continued to fuss over her and nearly force-fed her some figs and grapes until she refused to eat any more.

Elsa was surprised Claudia hadn't gone back to the Blooming Rose yet. She _was_ the 'boss', after all.

"Claudia, I'm glad you're here, don't get me wrong. But what about the brothel? Aren't you supposed to be there running things, you know, keeping it from collapsing, preventing people from catching on fire, saving the day, etcetera?" Elsa asked with a laugh, and Claudia smiled at her.

"You forget my mother is there as well, Elsa. She's perfectly capable of keeping records and putting the men in check. Last week, she actually _threw_ a man out the door because he was getting snippy and insulting. Threw him! I'd say she's competent," Claudia smirked, and Elsa raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, okay. That's... awesome."

Claudia smiled again before speaking. "Oh, Elsa, I forgot how much I missed you. I was beginning to forget how weird you talk.. 'Okay', 'Awesome', you always choose the strangest words."

Elsa grinned. "Hey! Don't forget I came from the future and this isn't my native language! Forgive me if I speak a little different."

Claudia cocked her head, "Italian isn't your native language? What is?"

"English," Elsa began, then remembering Claudia had no idea, "My guess is that Minerva did something. I never spoke Italian before I came here."

Claudia shook her head, looking at Elsa in awe. "That Minerva is impressive beyond a doubt..."

"Yeah, she's certainly something," Elsa said, nonchalantly sifting through a book in her lap, then after a while she spoke up again.

"So, when did Ezio say he'd be back?" Elsa asked.

"He didn't," Claudia said, then quickly continued at Elsa's saddened expression, "But I'm sure he'll return soon." Claudia gave Elsa a sly look. "He cares about you, you know?"

Elsa glanced up and gave Claudia a look of her own but didn't say anything. Claudia smiled and continued.

"It's true, Elsa. The way he watches you.. I haven't seen a look like that on the man's face in, well, ever." Elsa raised a brow, and Claudia went on, "There was Cristina when he was very young, but I think he viewed her more as a prize, a trophy. He loved her, of course. I won't say he didn't. But so much has changed since then, I'd be a fool to say he is the same man now that he was then."  
Elsa just listened, emotions rushing through her in waves. She was interested in what Claudia had to say; Ezio never spoke much of when he was young. And Claudia was definitely on a roll; Elsa swore she'd never heard Claudia speak this much at one time ever.

Claudia continued, "He admires you because you're strong, smart, and uncommonly kind. And I don't mean the type of kindness that women use as a mask, that see-through smile and such. You honestly care about doing what's right, about what he is passionate about. And that's a big deal for someone so set in their work. I never thought I'd see the day when my brother actually found a woman worthy of him. And you, well, when I first met you I must say I wouldn't have guessed you would be the one. I guess it makes sense though, Ezio falling in love with a woman from another world. Leave it to him to do something weird like that..."

Claudia smirked at her last few words, and Elsa smiled too. No kidding, Ezio of all people would be the guy to go against the norm. A few moments passed.

"Sometimes I wonder though," Elsa finally began to speak, staring at a lit candle by the bed, "If I _am_ worthy of him. I'm just one girl, a girl with no experience in what Ezio does. And I wonder about about what I've been doing these past few months, all this training and working so hard to learn how to do what he can. What if it was a mistake? I still can't picture myself doing all the things he does. The thought of it scares me to no end. I'm not a killer, Claudia. Not by choice, not if I can help it. Yes, there are bad people in this world that need taken care of. But I can't see myself being the one to carry out the deed. Maybe Minerva was wrong. Maybe she got the wrong girl."

Claudia watched her thoughtfully. "What did Minerva say? What were her words?" She asked.

Elsa thought back to that dreadfully terrifying night. The eerie voice would still ring out during her dreams occasionally, the words repeating in the back of her mind regardless of whether she wanted them to or not. She knew the words by heart.

"She said something along the lines of me being the key to the survival of the human race, that I needed to use my second chance against whatever comes at me, and that I had to find the prophet," Elsa then began to mimic Minerva's voice exaggeratedly and waved her arms around, "Together, you shall be unstoppable!"

After a moment Claudia spoke up again. "So, did she ever specifically say anything about you fighting? Killing? Becoming just like Ezio?"

Elsa opened her mouth and closed it again. No, now that she thought about it the message _was_ extremely vague. "Erm, no, I guess not..."

Claudia gave Elsa a smirk. "Then maybe you should think it over a bit. Maybe that's not the path you're supposed to make for yourself."

Elsa couldn't speak. Claudia had a point. What if she had read into it all wrong? What if she had a different purpose than to just be Ezio's dinky little sidekick who couldn't even handle herself the first time she went on a mission? It was definitely something to think about.

Both women's thoughts were interrupted when they heard the door open and close and fast footsteps approach the room. Ezio burst in with the funniest, happiest expression Elsa had ever seen on his face. He was grinning ear to ear, his hood had fallen onto his shoulders, and his hair was slightly disheveled as if he'd been sticking his head out the window of a moving car. Claudia stood immediately.

"Ezio! What's got you so happy?" Claudia asked, standing up. She hadn't seen a look like this, this raw happiness, from Ezio in a very long time.

"Machiavelli is innocent; I found the man responsible. Everyone's fine," Ezio said, still smiling, his voice rich, deep and jovial. Elsa's heart fluttered at the sound of his deep, resonant tone. His facial hair had become fuller in the time he had been focusing on Machiavelli. Now, instead of a little chin stubble, he was all-out furry. Elsa, watching him as he practically danced into the room, decided furry was her new favorite thing, as she was entranced by the way his full beard tapered perfectly at his lips, which were turned upward in that lopsided grin she loved.

Claudia squeaked and gave Ezio a bear hug as he removed his gloves and vambraces. "Ezio that's _wonderful_! She squealed, and Ezio dropped the gloves on the ground and twirled his little sister in a circle before placing her feet back onto the floor.

All the while, Elsa was grinning as well; seeing Ezio so happy was making her spirits soar. She had managed to stand up, and she teetered over to the two overjoyed siblings to share their excitement. Ezio had just placed Claudia on the floor when he made eye contact with Elsa, still smiling with a twinkle in his eye.

The sight of Elsa on her feet and smiling up at him surprised Ezio, and his smile faltered for only a second before it became even more enthusiastic than before. In a fit of joy, completely forgetting about everything but the fact that everyone he loved was safe, loyal and happy, Ezio reached out and lifted Elsa bridal-style up into his arms, earning a surprised but pleasant squeak from Elsa and a loud laugh from Claudia, who continued to laugh as she spoke.

"I'm going to go prepare a proper meal, as I doubt you've eaten much at all today Ezio. You two can sort out.. Whatever it is you're doing."

As Claudia turned and exited the room, Elsa's cheeks flushed pink and her heart sped up at the fact that Ezio still hasn't released her, rather he held her a little tighter.

_Oh, this man will be the end of me._

She braced her arms around Ezio's neck, securing her hands on his powerful shoulders to steady herself, pulling herself closer to him in return. The pain in her side was dull, nothing stronger than moderate discomfort. Being this close to the man she adored put everything else on hold.

His scent was still intoxicating, like fresh rain and wildflowers - and a little side of leather from his armor -, and Ezio, upon realizing the proximity of their faces, saw his chance and took it by tilting his face down to meet hers, softly capturing her mouth with his own for the second time in forty-eight hours. This earned yet another surprised murmur from Elsa, though the words were unintelligible due to the fact that her lips were preoccupied by the assassin holding her. But, she quickly and happily obliged, pressing closer and grasping her arms tighter around him, and she felt his mouth smirk against her own in reaction to her enthusiasm. The sensation of his lips on hers sent tingles through her entire being, making her back shudder slightly and her heart stutter erratically. She was completely at his mercy.

Ezio kicked out a heel toward the door, effectively closing it, and carried Elsa back over to his bed, all the while never breaking contact with her lips. He placed her down into the soft bedding, letting himself drape over her small frame like a puzzle piece. One calloused, broad hand was softly twirling the hair at the nape of her neck while the other was making its way along her left hip, subtly sliding under the fabric of her clothing and brushing lightly against her soft skin, creating goosebumps and causing Elsa's breath to hitch and an involuntary moan to escape her throat.

She ran her hands along his chest under his armor and over the unarmored parts of his shoulders. Oh, those shoulders. All that climbing over the years had made his arms and chest as strong and tough as granite, and she felt a light quiver ripple through the muscles under her touch.

Ezio deepened the kiss, indulging in it, a sweet, fruity flavor lingering on the lips he was claiming. His hand traveled upward, fingers grazing the delicate skin on her stomach. Without thinking, she arched her back up to meet his hand, but was quickly cut off by a flare of pain shooting through her right side. She immediately relaxed down onto the bed with a gasp and a slight cry, the action causing her mouth to wrench itself from Ezio's. He lifted himself up immediately and pulled his hands away, a frantic expression etched on his face.

"I'm so sorry! Did I hurt you? Is it your side? Damn it Elsa I'm sorry, I should've been more careful!" he was scolding himself, all the while making sure not to touch her but inspecting injury.

_Shit,_ she thought, pissed at herself, _now he'll feel bad and it's not even his fault. _

Ezio was running a hand through his hair, looking like a sad, scolded puppy. A very scruffy and cute - no, _sexy -_ scolded puppy. _Don't get weird, Elsa._

"Ezio it's fine, it was my fault. I forgot, and when I moved, my body must not have liked it so much. Don't worry, it wasn't you. In fact," She reached out and pulled his hand away from his face, then pressed her lips into his broad palm. "You're the best medicine there is."

Ezio's face softened again, his honey eyes holding hers with a look she couldn't quite read. It looked almost like a mixture between happiness and sadness; his eyes were smiling, but the rest of his features said otherwise. He leaned down again and gently placed a chaste kiss on her lips before pulling himself away and sitting up. Even a simple kiss like this one made her heart flutter.

Elsa thought to herself. How on earth did she manage to pull in a man like this? He was _perfect_. And the effect he had on her... She'd never felt anything like it. It was like he fulfilled her, put her at peace just by his presence. She loved everything about him, and the way he accepted her was refreshing. She didn't have to do anything special, she just had to.. Be. And that was more than she could've ever asked for.

Ezio watched Elsa's expression. She was so deep in thought. He loved how she could be fully aware one moment and then go off in her own little world the next. His only wish was that she would tell him what she was thinking more often; he was extremely curious as to what went on in that mysterious mind of hers. He began tossing the rest of his armor off, leaving it in a small heap at the corner of the room. He'd clean it later. He had time.

"I got there just in time," Ezio began speaking matter-of-factly, "To Machiavelli and La Volpe, that is. And to think this was all because of a simple Borgia spy. The man responsible was from Monteriggioni, actually," Ezio looked at Elsa when she raised her brows, surprised. "I remembered seeing him during the siege. He ended his own life with my blade, but I discovered a letter on his person with the Borgia crest. It was all the evidence I needed. I'm just so thankful it's over," Ezio let out a content sigh, shaking his head and sitting back down on the bed before continuing. "It's like this weight is finally gone. I expect things should be somewhat quiet for a while now, actually. Machiavelli promised to send me updates if he gets wind of Templar agents. Other than that, I've got nothing to do right now."

Elsa yawned happily. "That's fantastic," she said, smiling at Ezio's excited talkativeness. He was absolutely adorable right now. Elsa yawned again. It had to be at least midnight now, and she was feeling the effects. Ezio caught her yawn and smiled, brushing hair from her face.

"Go ahead and sleep, _Cara_, I'll be here in the morning," he said the pet name endearingly, and Elsa smiled lazily up at him. Ezio bent down and kissed her forehead before he pulled the blanket up over her and picked up the candle holder. "Oh, and one more thing," Ezio began, smirking, "Is it okay that I sleep here tonight as well? I'm missing my pillows dreadfully. That is, if you're willing to share," he said with a wink, and Elsa smiled back.

"I sleep better with you here anyway," she mumbled contentedly, her eyes drooping shut.

Ezio grinned and left the room, taking the candle with him and shutting the door. He spent the next hour or so talking to his sister, laughing and eating until he too was exhausted. He returned to his room and set down the candle, taking a look at Elsa, who was sleeping peacefully. The firelight danced across her features, and her red hair, which had grown out to nearly mid-waist, was draped across her shoulders and pillow. Assured she was sleeping, Ezio stripped down to almost nothing before donning a loose pair of pants and a soft, plain tunic. He stretched out his limbs, yawning widely before shuffling over to the vacant side of his bed and crawling into the covers. He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, pondering everything that had happened in the past month.

Elsa stirred a little and made a soft whimper in her sleep. Ezio shifted over to her and gingerly pulled her closer, placing an arm around her waist and fitting her snugly against himself. This felt right. No, it felt perfect, and Ezio knew there was no one in the world he'd rather be holding.

* * *

When morning came along, Elsa decided she'd died and gone to heaven. She peeked her eyes open as lazy morning light poured in through the small window onto the floor boards, and then realized what position she was in. She was practically almost lying on top of him, chest against his, half on him and half on the bed. Ezio's arm was wrapped around her, and his warm body was pressed steadfast against her own, literally no space between them from the neck to the knees. Their legs were intertwined and she felt his hot steady breath on her neck. Her hand was placed on his chest, and she could feel his heartbeat thudding softly in her palm.

She looked up at him. His face was peaceful. Something about sleeping must make people look ten years younger and ten times happier. His hair was silky, draping across the sides of his face and onto his pillow, his dark brows completely relaxed as opposed to the usual furrow that took their place. He was beautiful. Her beautiful man. She sighed and closed her eyes again blissfully, placing her face onto his chest.

She must have dozed off again, because when she opened her eyes again he was gone. She listened closely, hoping to hear signs of life in the building, and just when she was about to give up she heard a door open and loud happy voices ring through the halls. She recognized Stefano's gruff rumble and Beatrice's tinkling laugh. Elsa hadn't seen the recruits since the Collosseum, and guilt washed over her. They probably saved her life and she hadn't spoken to any of them. Given, they hadn't shown up, but she could have at least tried to get a hold of them.

She didn't have long to spend wallowing in guilt, however, because the four recruits burst into the room suddenly, followed by Ezio and Claudia, and started talking over each other.

Guido's voice shouted out, "Elsaaaaaaa! You're aliiiiive!-"

Then Valentino's cut in, "-couldn't have had worse timing with -"

And Stefano, "luckily Valentino was -"

They were speaking so quickly Elsa couldn't tell what they were saying for the most part, and poor Beatrice was doing her best to talk over the men but had no luck. Elsa started laughing and greeted them happily, and each one came in to pat her shoulder or, when it came to Valentino's turn, he kissed her on the cheek, giving her a sly look before retreating. Elsa shook her head hopelessly and glanced at Ezio, who to her relief was nearly doubled over with laughter, bracing himself on the wall for support. These four were quite the comedic group no doubt. It may not be intentional, but they were so animated they could star in a crappy sitcom.

Elsa pulled herself up out of bed once she was given enough space by the four apprentices standing beside her. They all made their way out and sat at a table, passing around food and drink until everyone's plates were full to the brim with fruits and cheeses and breads and dried meats, and their wine cups were flowing. Ezio sat across the table from Elsa, and occasionally throughout conversations with the others Elsa would catch him staring at her with the most curious expression, a mix between amusement and something else she couldn't quite place. Finally at one point when she caught him watching her, she made a face and stuck out her tongue, smirking at him. He winked back and tossed a grape at her, and it bounced once on the table once and hit her arm before tumbling on the floor.

Claudia caught that and scolded him. "Ezio, I swear sometimes you put yourself back in your ten-year-old self's shoes. You're making a mess."

Ezio rolled his eyes jokingly at her. "What's to say I'm not always my 'ten-year-old self'? Maybe I'm just really good at hiding it." He winked again at Elsa. Claudia huffed and Elsa laughed.

"I confirm this," Elsa said in a teasing jab. Ezio let out a loud laugh and leaned back in his chair, smiling, and turned his attention to Guido, who was telling some sort of joke that Elsa hadn't been following. A moment later the table erupted in laughter and Elsa grinned too, happiness welling inside her. This was the best day she'd had in quite a while. Everything was turning out perfectly. Everyone was safe, happy, and together. It was awesome.

A loud knock at the door bought Stefano's attention and the others continued talking while he left the room and answered it. A moment later he entered, followed by a familiar face. Dark shaggy hair fell over vivid cerulean eyes, which locked with hers as the man approached the table.

"Remi!" Elsa breathed. Ezio raised a brow and turned around, then stood up and greeted his friend with a hug. Remi was grinning as he spoke.

"I heard the Passion play took an unexpected twist," Remi said, and Ezio smirked.

"Indeed. It's said that Jesus Christ was resurrected three days early..."

Remi laughed and patted Ezio on the shoulder. "I always said you had a knack for the dramatics, Ezio."

He then turned back toward Elsa, who had left her seat and walked over to talk to the two men. The others at the table were all chatting with each other, not paying attention to Elsa and her two friends.

"What's this about you practically committing suicide?" Remi asked her, noticing the way she tensed each time she lifted her right leg as she walked. Worry flashed across his face for a second but was replaced with amusement. "You know this totally rules out climbing practice for like.. weeks. When you get back into it I might as well start at day one again."

Elsa waved a hand to brush away the thought. "Psshhh. I could still beat you in a race even without the practice." She knew she couldn't_ really_ win, but she couldn't help taunting him for it. Someone had to challenge his ego once in a while or his head would get so big it'd explode.

Remi chuckled, the sound rich and hearty. "Oh? I accept that challenge. Ezio, you're my witness here. I cannot let a challenge so direct be left unheeded. Elsa, when you're healed, you'd better hold onto your pride with both hands."

"This should be interesting," Ezio said, grinning. He hadn't seen Elsa climb since their first day. She'd climbed the Collosseum once but he hadn't been present to witness it.

Elsa sighed and shook her head. What on earth had she just done? Now Remi was going to _really_ embarrass her. She could climb so much better than when she'd first started, yes, and she was a whole lot faster, but she was almost positive her skill was still not even half of what Remi or Ezio could do. Whatever. Let him retain his reign of King of the Climbers.

"Fine," she said, and Remi regarded her amusedly, seeing right through her attempt to hide her regret in the challenge.

Ezio must've seen through it too, because he piped in. "How about we give her a week's chance to warm up before the race. I'll volunteer as trainer."

Elsa was so relieved.. And excited. First-hand experience with Ezio for an entire _week_! Could this day get any better?

"Your call, boss," Remi said to Ezio, then continued, "I'm not worried."

Elsa could see how he was blatantly teasing her now and she stuck out her tongue. His eyes sparked and he gave her a wily look before addressing them both, "I just stopped in to say hello and see how Elsa was faring. I'm off to go do some 'important' things. Some new guards are on their first patrol tonight and a few of the boys and I are going to give them a... 'warm' welcome."

Ezio laughed. "Have fun, Remigio. Stay safe."

Remi gave him a salute and left, giving Elsa a final mischievous look as he retreated. Elsa shook her head and looked up at Ezio, who was still smiling.

"Oh my goodness, what a goof!" Elsa said with a huff, and Ezio grinned at her.

"He's certainly a handful. He reminds me a lot of my brother Federico. I suppose that's why I keep him around... That and he's the best thief in the guild, aside from La Volpe."

Elsa smiled. It was good that Ezio had friends and people he could connect with. In the games, it never really showed that side of him. Yeah, he had Leonardo and his uncle and family and such, but other than that the side characters were generally underdeveloped. Which made sense, really, you wouldn't want to pull away from the main plot. Nevertheless, it was awesome seeing his friendly, easygoing side.

The two returned to the table and hung out with the rest of the crowd, laughing and talking and sharing stories. Elsa mostly listened; she preferred not to be the center of attention - that took too much effort. Besides, any story she could come up with wouldn't even begin to compare to those told by her Italian friends. Beatrice talked about growing up with five brothers, explaining that was how she managed to know so much about the more gritty lifestyles that were generally unheard of with women.

Elsa liked Beatrice. She was blunt and kind of hot-headed, and she definitely could hold her own against any man, but she had this side to her that gave off different vibes, like she was the kind of girl to secretly love dressing up in pretty gowns and primping.

The seven friends enjoyed each other's company for the remainder of the day, putting their other duties on hold to just have a good time and connect. It was, in short, a great day.

* * *

Nearly three weeks passed in the blink of an eye. Ezio and Elsa talked a lot when they could; even though she spent a lot of alone time reading books and relaxing in her room and he was constantly out working with his recruits. Claudia had left within the first few days, but Elsa made her promise she would visit often.

Ezio used a lot of his free time to train his recruits and he actually managed to recruit four more by the end of that month. They were guys, all four of them, but Elsa hadn't managed to catch their names; she only ever saw them during the times Ezio brought them to the upper floors where she was. The rest of the time, they stayed downstairs and trained there. Stefano, Beatrice, Valentino and Guido had been sent on various missions by Ezio in order to both improve their skills and fix any issues that arose dealing with Templars.

Elsa's healing process was going well, and she kept to a routine: every two days she would replace the bandages and wash the old ones, even though now she really didn't need them much. Within the first week the cut was healing nicely, and it really just looked like a big angry scab with stitches. By week three, the skin had knit itself back together in a jagged scar, and it was time to remove the stitches. As she did so Elsa cringed at the feeling. It was weird; it stung a little, but it just gave her the heebie-jeebies to pull the strings out of her skin.

Ezio had been sitting at a desk mulling over letters and Elsa when sitting in an armchair when she decided to remove them. Ezio had told her that once her stitches were gone, that would be the cue for him to take her out climbing. She impulsively lifted up her shirt, retrieved a knife, and cut the knots on the strings that were embedded in her skin. Ezio glanced up and all he saw was Elsa, shirt hiked up to her ribcage, holding a knife to her side. He jerked out of his chair and practically leaped over next to her, confused, worried, and concerned. He knelt down next to her chair quickly.

"What on earth are you doing, Elsa?" he asked frantically, reaching out and pulling her armed hand away from her body. He inspected the cut, relieved she hadn't injured herself.

Elsa started giggling. "Ezio, I'm removing my stitches, goofball."

He looked at the cut again and noticed she had delicately cut the ties of the strings. "Oh," was all he could say, then smirked up at her sheepishly, releasing her hand.

She placed the knife down and went to work, pulling the thread from the skin. The sensation was cringe-worthy, and Elsa hissed when it lightly stung the sensitive skin on her abdomen. She'd had stitches once before, but they were plastic, not thread, and that definitely had made a difference. These were practically stuck to the skin.

Ezio hated to see her in pain, even if it was extremely mild and necessary. He retrieved a bottle of smelling salts and gave it to her, and that helped quite a bit. Once she had completely removed them, she washed the scar with a cool towel and did her best not to aggravate the bruise that remained there around it. It barely hurt now, save for when she accidentally would hit it on something, and that was just because of the bruise.

Once she had finished, Ezio inspected it as well. He knew a lot more about this stuff than Elsa did. He brushed his fingers over it lightly, giving Elsa goosebumps all over when his fingers brushed her skin. He noticed and smirked to himself. Tiny pinpricks from where the thread had been were the only broken skin, all the rest had healed into a pink scar that marred her otherwise soft skin. Ezio leaned in and pressed a very light kiss to the scar before lowering her shirt back down. In doing so, he silently made a vow to never put her in harm's way again, not if he could help it. This scar would be his reminder. As he did this, Elsa's breath hitched, the feeling of his warm breath making her feel giddy.

He straightened up to eye level, placing a hand on either side of the chair next to her legs. He was on his knees, but she was short and hunching over, so it worked out nicely.

"Thank you, Doctor Auditore. Will I make a full recovery?" Elsa asked, meeting his golden gaze.

"You said so yourself, I am indeed the best medicine there is." Ezio replied, the corners of his mouth turning up in a smirk.

Elsa responded by reaching up and brushing her fingers through his fuzzy stubble, which he had shaved back down, and pulling his face to hers, capturing his lips. A chuckle made its way from his chest, and he wrapped his large hands around her hips, pulling her forward on the chair, and pressed her against himself, deepening the kiss. He had her just where he wanted her: in his arms. And he'd never let her go.

* * *

**Sorry I left off abruptly. Next chapter will be action again. This was recovery and reunion time, along with fluffy happy love-blah-blah. ;) **

**If you guys are wondering what Remi looks like, think of Taylor Kitsch with blue eyes. Every time I think of the name 'Remi', I think of Taylor's character Gambit in Wolverine. So yeah, that's his basic model. :)**

**Hope you all enjoyed, and I'll try to update within the next week! **


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey all! Sorry I'm a bit late on this chapter. **

**Once again, this is a HALF chapter. I have yet another excuse as to why this is late, but it's an awesome one: I got a PUPPY! **

**So yeah, I had to put the story on hold for a bit. Updates will be further spaced apart from now on, as I have a new houseguest. :)  
I'm already writing the next half of this chapter, but I wanted to post this now to help ease the suspense.. Or actually, this is a bit of a cliffhanger. It may intensify it a bit. :/  
**

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** Suiya: Oh I completely understand! Take your time, as long as you please, I can't wait to see it! :D **

** Thecrittic: I hope that means you enjoyed.. xD**

** thom7960: Eee! I'm so glad you like it! Hopefully I'll keep you all entertained!**

**And thank you to my guest reviewer! :)**

**Thanks to EVERYONE who favorited/followed, you're all _awesome_! :)**

* * *

After a few days, Ezio had just sent his recruits out on various missions and was, surprisingly, completely free. He ate a small snack and then remembered Elsa was due for some climbing practice, if she was to even come close to having a chance of defeating Remi in a race.

Entering her room, Ezio found her curled up on her bed reading a book, and he almost decided to just let her keep reading and not bother her. However, he knew she was excited to get back out climbing with him, so he kept his word and approached her, walking quietly into her room. She was turned away and didn't see nor hear him, so he decided to make a game of it. He crouched down, slinking silently closer to her as she lay there blissfully unaware of the prowling assassin behind her. Then, he pounced.

As Elsa had just turned a page in her book, she suddenly shrieked in surprise as Ezio assaulted her in a full-on tickle attack to her ribs. She startled and then was cut off by her own laughing, the tickling sending her into fits of squeals and laughter.

"Ezio! - HAHAHA! - Ezi-AHH! Quit it!" she finally squeaked between forced laughs, all attempts to escape proving futile as she writhed about, completely at the mercy of his attacks.

As soon as Ezio let go of her, Elsa immediately recoiled her entire body, yanking a pillow out in front of her as a shield and pulling her legs up close to her body. Peeking out over the top of her pillow, she couldn't help but giggle at Ezio's expression. He could be so strange. One day, he's this hardened killer, teaching deadly techniques to his recruits, and Elsa wouldn't see a smile for what seemed like days. But then at other times, he's animated, overenthusiastic, and playful, constantly pestering her and giving her these mischievous looks that she can't help but grin back at.

Ezio himself was grinning ear-to-ear, and he finally let up, pulling his hands away and sitting on the bed, one leg dangling over the edge. He then put on his most innocent face, raising his brows, and asked in a light tone, "What's so funny?".

"Ohhh, no. Don't you act like you're innocent. You know you'll receive payback for that, and it _won't_ be pretty!" Elsa scolded, chucking the pillow at him. Ezio caught it effortlessly before it hit him and smirked back at her.

"Nah, I think I can handle whatever you throw in my path." Ezio's eyes sparked and he then stood, placing the pillow in its rightful place at the head of the bed. "Actually, surprising as you might find this, I did come in here for a reason other than to provoke you. Would you like to go practice your climbing today? Remigio may get a bit antsy if we wait too long."

Elsa loved the idea, but at the mention of Remi she sighed and fell back onto the bed with a huff. "Ugh. Remigio can go shove it. He knows I can't possibly win. Why does he still want to do this?"

Ezio laughed aloud. "Hey, you got yourself into this mess. I'm just here to try to help you contain it. Or, if that proves impossible, it will at least be entertaining to watch you flail about." He gave her a total shit-eating grin.

Elsa reached out and playfully smacked Ezio's arm. "Hey!" she complained, giving him her best pout.

He raised his hands defensively. "I'm sorry! I speak only the truth, ugly as it may be."

Shaking her head, Elsa stood up off the bed. Yeah, he was definitely in his mischievous mood. _He can be such a dork.. A lovable, annoying dork._

"Yeah, sure, fine, whatever. Let's just get on to climbing." she did her best to mask her amusement, but Ezio caught it and smiled to himself as Elsa hopped up and strapped on her extras and her belt, which Ezio had given her, with a small metal assassin emblem on the buckle.

The two then left the building and Elsa noticed it was cloudy out, and off in the north a blueish grey hue blanketed the sky, promising an oncoming and desperately-needed rain. It was October now, and from what Ezio had told her they could expect more rain than what they had in the past few months. Elsa was relieved. It had only rained about five-to-ten times total since the time she had been there, and each rainfall just left the next day twice as humid and hot as the previous. A northern wind was blowing now, though, and with it came cooler days and nights.

They crossed the bridge and turned to the south with the wind at their backs, and Elsa felt a tiny droplet of water hit her cheek. It wasn't raining yet, but she guessed within the hour it would be. Rather than getting put-off by the impending showers, Elsa grinned and clapped her hands animatedly, gushing over the idea of playing in the rain. Ezio laughed silently and patted her on the shoulder as he walked, a gesture Elsa had come to know as his way of expressing amused affection.

After fifteen minutes of walking through the streets, Elsa was extremely confused. Ezio hadn't made any move at all toward climbing, rather he was acting very strange, darting along the roads in shadows of the buildings and taking shortcuts through alleyways. Elsa followed without saying anything for a while, but she finally couldn't stand it and confronted him, speaking up as they were coming up on a large open space.

"Ezio, not to try to rain on your parade or anything, but didn't you mention something about climbing? Shouldn't we be doing this, say, on the rooftops? Why are we down here-"

Ezio quickly held a finger to his lips, effectively silencing Elsa and causing her to bristle. What was it that he was worried about? She followed his gaze and quickly noticed there were guards in the open area - and lots of them. They were walking in pairs, one holding an armful of parchments, while the other tied the papers up on walls of various buildings. The guards were spreading out, and Elsa realized she'd been seeing them almost since they left the building but hadn't thought anything of it.

Ezio walked as inconspicuously as possible out of the alleyway they were currently in, leading Elsa along the sides of the buildings in hopes to not raise suspicion from the countless guards that swarmed the streets.

_What are they doing?_ Elsa was so confused. Confused because first of all, all they were doing was tying up posters to walls - what's the big deal -, and second of all, Ezio was being extra careful. Then the realization hit her as they passed a poster. It was simple but obviously stamped as Ezio - though it looked more like his twenty-year-old self - and the words scrawled across the front: "DEAD OR ALIVE, 50,000 f".

Elsa remembered it now, the notoriety meters in the games. It was strange seeing the posters in person. They were simple, apparently made with a stamp or a press, and they had a large red seal at the top that Elsa could only guess was the Borgia crest.

Ezio turned back and spoke in a whisper, "I'm thinking we should wait until we're out of the bulk of the guards before we dance about in plain sight. You're not their target, but they'll recognize me if I draw their attention."

Elsa nodded, and she continued to follow Ezio down until as they were reaching the edge of the city, where it would break off into countryside. They had stopped in a marketplace, where shops lined the walls and people bustled about, despite the imminent rain. He turned to her.

"Because the guards are placing the Wanted posters out today, everyone will be doubly keen to detecting me. Therefore, I think it's best we don't practice climbing today, sorry. It'll draw too much attention and I don't want you to get hurt. I still have some things to tend to, so I will go to the thieves' guild to speak with La Volpe. If you'd like, there are numerous shops around here at which you can browse and buy. Here, take this," he handed her a satchel of coins that clinked into her hand, "and don't stray away from this square of shops. I will be back after about thirty minutes. If it rains and you wish to keep dry, there's an inn across there," he pointed toward a large decorated building, "where you can take cover if necessary. Until I return, have fun."

He gave her a wide grin and she waved as he took off in a jog out the gates and down a dirt path that led off south into a small collection of buildings in the distance, which Elsa guessed was his destination. She turned around, trying to decide where to go first. There were so many more options than in the game, and Elsa finally chose to check out a store that appeared to be a trinkets emporium. She looked around there for a while, poring over various pins and buckles and pretty buttons, until she saw a small figurine that caught her eye. It looked like a tiny metal feather, and it seemed to have no purpose other than to look pretty on a shelf or something.

_Ezio would like this, I bet,_ she decided, remembering his affinity for feathers, and she purchased the tiny object for just five coins. With that she exited the building and walked around the area again, surveying the shops. A poster had been put up next to the emporium, and Elsa walked over to inspect it. It was the same as the one she'd seen before, and, with a quick look around to make sure no one was watching, she reached up and pulled it off the wall, tearing the top slightly where it had been pinned. _The least I can do to help him is get rid of these stupid things,_ she decided as she continued to grimace at the paper, holding it out in front of her. She started to giggle at it, at the expression they'd given Ezio. This was propaganda at its finest; he had a sneer on his mouth, and his eyes were completely shadowed out, giving the whole thing a sinister appearance. She immediately sobered up though, as she saw something in the corner of her eye.

She looked up and her shoulders bristled. Four guards were approaching her, with one helmetless guard leading them with a taunting expression on his face. She turned and realized she was cornered, and the walls beside her were too smooth to scale. She looked about frantically as the guard stopped in front of her, and she cringed when he began to speak.

"What's this, girl? You defiling papal documents?" he jeered, then reached out and snatched the parchment from her hands, purposefully making it more forceful than he needed to. She shied away, disgust etched on her features at the man. "You realize this is a crime, no? What are we going to do about this one, eh, men?" He turned to his three peers, and they snickered under their breath, one of them giving her a scathing look that gave her chills.

The helmetless guard reached out an arm to grab her and she took a step back, flattening herself against the walls and unsheathing her small daggers. She held them up in front of her, terrified. Last time she had done something like this, she had four people helping and even then had nearly died. And if her calculations were right, Ezio wouldn't be back for at least twenty minutes, probably more. Calling for him would be useless.

At the sight of the knives the guards immediately pulled out their spears, and the helmetless guard pulled out a sword, angry and sharp, and pointed it straight at her. Around them, a few bystanders gasped, muttering under their breaths and scuttling away quickly.

The guard cocked his head at her, "Now, now, that's no way to address an officer, little lady. I suggest you drop those. _Now." _he seethed, giving her a cold smirk. The sword was easily three times the length of her knives, and there was no possible way she would be able to get out of the situation now that she'd pulled out the weapons.

Elsa was shaking all over, her knees weak and eyes wide. She quickly went over her options. Option one: fight back, probably die. Option two: don't fight back, possibly die. _Possibly is better than probably. _

She shakily relaxed her arms, then bent slightly and dropped the knives down on the ground in front of her. They hit the ground with a clatter, and the guard motioned for her to kick them over. She obeyed, sliding the knives far enough away that the guard was happy. Another guard reached down and retrieved them, sticking them in his belt. She stared after them wistfully. Those knives had been hand crafted for her, specially ordered by Ezio. They were perfectly balanced - no doubt priceless weapons.

"Now," the guard began again, stepping closer, "a threat like that can only be confronted in one way. I think it's best you come with us, Miss." He motioned for the other guards to help, and reached out to take her arm. He directed her toward the main road, and then stopped once they reached it.

"Bind her hands, and her mouth. We don't know what sort of group she could be involved in," the man said, and she quickly panicked. Before the men had a chance to secure her arms, she broke free, and because the four men surrounded her, she quickly threw a hard punch straight into the nose of the helmetless guard in an attempt to get out. She felt a crunch and her hand hurt like hell, though she didn't know if it was the man's nose or her knuckles that had cracked.

He cried out, and before Elsa could try to escape, the guards grabbed her again, this time with ten times more force. The man's nose began spouting a stream of blood down his mouth and to his chin, mixing with the light spray of the rain in a sickly red wash. He gave her a venomous look, then shot a punch of his own straight and clear, catching her jaw. Before she knew what was happening, she had crumpled down onto her knees, her whole right side of her face erupting in pain. She shrieked at the sudden assault, and as she did so, she was hoisted up again by the men and a cloth was tied around her mouth, effectively gagging her. In the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a flash of red move behind a building, standing out against the dull stone and dirt environment, but she quickly waved it off as her imagination. She was a little too preoccupied by the four angry men to give it much thought.

"Tie this bitch up," the guard hissed, still holding his nose and having lost all sense of humor. They bound her wrists and shoved her forward, surrounding her like one does a prisoner, two in front and two in back. She stumbled at the jolt, her entire head beginning to throb. The guard's armored gloves had seriously done a number on her face, and from what she could guess, the sharp ends of the metal had caught her face and broken the skin. Elsa was beginning to feel extremely helpless, terrified, and embarrassed.

"Get her to the guard keep, a holding cell will do her some good," he growled, "a rebellious spirit like this needs broken before it does too much damage."

They walked at a very brisk pace, yanking and shoving Elsa to speed up every few seconds. The gag in her mouth made it hard for her to breathe properly, and the quickness of their walk was not helping. A few guards they had passed stared with interest, obviously wishing they had the privilege of doing something as exciting as escorting a prisoner - a female, no less, - rather than standing at their guard post all day.

Elsa had no idea where the guard keep was, or what it was, for that matter. After a while she realized she was crying, tears merging with the light rain that had begun. She felt sorry for herself, and angry with herself for being so stupid. _It's all over now,_ she thought, a sob reaching her throat, _I've failed. Everything. Why did I ever think I wouldn't?_

The four men stopped, however, when they reached another group of guards stationed under a large outcropping roof that shielded from the rain. The helmetless guard greeted a man dressed in intricate armor, clearly a higher rank than all the others. He was addressed by name while the other three joined the ones that were holding Elsa.

"What's all this?" the guard, - who Elsa had overheard was named "Nico"-, asked and he sauntered over to Elsa.

The helmetless guard spat, "Troublemaker. Found this _whore_ tearing down the assassin posters down in the lower district. She had weapons, and she knows how to fight. I'm guessing Cento Occhi. She's dressed like she could be, and wields her knives like they do."

Nico cut in, his voice calm but sharp like razors, "You do know Cesare hired them, no? They're no longer our problem; they're on our side. No, she's something else," he said, and he began to inspect her. His eyes stopped on her belt buckle. "Aha," he said, drawing a finger to his lower lip, "Something else indeed..."

"What do you mean?" the guard asked, clearly not understanding what Nico had caught.

"She's an assassin," he said smugly, and Elsa blanched. How did he know? Yes, her belt had that symbol, but it was all still fairly underground!

Whispers ran through the crowd of guards, eight of them total now, and Nico spoke up louder.

"We aren't taking this one to the keep," he said, and Elsa held her breath, praying for a miracle.

"She's going to Cesare."

* * *

**Oh my! Crazy stuff happening! What'll Ezio do? :D  
I'm partway through the next half. I'll try to have it up this weekend, at least by Sunday night. **

**I thought it was getting a bit slow, so I'm spicin' it up here. Sneak peek for next chapter: we get to see the great Leonardo da Vinci! :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we go! Second half up.  
**

**I have a question for you all, if I may. Would you prefer I do more frequent updates with shorter chapters like this one and the last, or longer chapters with less-frequent updates? PM or review if you have a preference; I'm here to keep you all happy. :)**

**I went to ****Rainymood .com** (take out the space) and it certainly immersed me in my own settings. It's awesome, if you guys want to try it. :D Also The Godfather soundtracks = yes.

**Suiya: Aw man I should've thought of that.. Ah well. Actually once I'm finished with this story, I plan on either re-writing it or just adding a boat load to it. First attempts are always iffy. xD  
****As for Elsa: Let's see! Red hair, about 5'2, not skinny, more muscular.. mesomorph-ish. 135 - 140 lbs, maybe? Green eyes, light skin and freckles, goofy grin, etc etc. You're the artist here, so I'll let you decide how you wanna make her look. ;)**

**Violence warning for this chapter, read at your own discretion. I don't like hurting my characters, but I can't have it all sunshine and roses. :P**

**This is sort of a rough draft chapter; I went through it a few times to make sure I didn't have fragments, but there may be an unfinished sentence here and there that I didn't catch. Purely accidental, and I'll read it through again after a bit to triple-check it. :)**

**Thanks to all my lovely readers! **

* * *

Ezio enjoyed his visit to La Volpe immensely. It was initially intended to be a business visit, for Ezio to discuss any issues that could've risen since the Machiavelli incident. However, as it turned out there was apparently nothing big going on, it quickly transitioned to a friendly encounter. They chatted for a while, and they even got in a game of Hazard before Ezio realized what time it was and turned to leave.

Remigio was there as well, and he caught Ezio before Ezio had made it out the door, and they also struck up a quick conversation. When Remigio discovered Elsa was just up the road, he enthusiastically volunteered to accompany Ezio back and say hello. Ezio knew the boy had taken a liking to Elsa, but he knew it was a different kind than his own. It was more of a sparked interest. Elsa was unusual in general, just from the way she talked, interacted, looked, etc., and Remi was known to be drawn to the weirder aspects of the world.

Remi quickly finished his drink and hopped up, following after Ezio outside into what was now a light downpour. Although he'd spent a little more than half an hour there, Ezio knew Elsa was fine; no one knew who she was, and she had enough money to buy something from every store and still have leftovers. He wouldn't have left her alone had he believed she couldn't handle herself or that she was too conspicuous to be in public. She rarely got out, and when she did, she gave no reason for the guards to notice her.

In the rain, Ezio pulled his hood up and Remi tied his bandana over his head. It didn't do a lot of good, but thankfully the rain wasn't too intense, just a drizzle. They didn't run, as there was no need, rather they walked and talked all the way back into the city.

Ezio looked around once they reached the market, but he didn't see Elsa. It didn't surprise him though, because of the rain, and both men made their way to the inn. They walked into the building and removed their headwear, and Ezio looked around while Remi went to ask the innkeeper about Elsa. Ezio walked into the back parlor and, after inspection, didn't see Elsa among the people who were bustling about or relaxing in armchairs. Confusion came over him and he walked back to Remi, one brow raised slightly.

"She's not here," Ezio said, the statement sounding almost like a question. Remi scratched his head, taking one more glance around, and both of them quickly left the building. Ezio was refusing to let himself panic. They'd been there less than five minutes, which was way too short to jump to conclusions.

Remi and Ezio began searching the area, looking in shops and searching around, but had no luck. Remi called out her name a few times, drawing a few curious looks from the people who were taking cover under outcrops. Ezio was walking beside the emporium Elsa had visited when something on the ground caught his eye. A soggy notoriety poster lay on the ground, and what was on the corner made his heart sink. It appeared to be blood, spattered all along the edge. He picked it up and stared at it, unmoving.

Remi glanced over and saw the man holding the paper and walked over to inspect it as well. When he saw Ezio's expression, he faltered, following his gaze to the bloodied corner of the poster.

"Ezio we don't know for sure that this has anything to do with her," Remi began, but he was trying just as hard to convince himself as he was Ezio. Elsa wasn't going to just disappear, that was for sure. She was missing, and the only thing so far that was out of the ordinary was this poster. The facts didn't bode well.

Ezio just stared at the paper, his mouth pressed into a hard line. In the corner of his eye, he noticed someone coming out of the trinkets shop. Blonde hair, red cloak, and a satchel swung over the shoulder. The man pulled his cap down over his eyes, shielding them from the drizzling rain. Ezio snapped his head up, surprise written across his features. He recognized this man!

"Leonardo?" Ezio called after him, and the man turned, an incredulous look on his face.

Ezio noticed it looked like he'd aged years since he last saw him. His beard was scraggly, his face shadowed, the familiar twinkle lost in dark, void eyes. Working under the Borgia was taking its toll on this once bright-eyed man. Upon seeing Ezio, though, his face lit up.

"Ezio! What on earth are you doing here? I haven't seen you in months, my friend!" Leonardo was beaming, walking over to give Ezio a hug. Ezio returned it, but even though he was delighted to see his best pal, his highest priority right now was finding his missing female friend.

"It's been too long, indeed. But I must cut this short. I am searching for someone. Have you seen a young woman, about this tall," he held a hand the height of his shoulder, "Red hair, white tunic, trousers-" he was cut off by Leonardo's expression.

Leonardo paled, his eyes widening and his smile disappearing. "This girl, is she one of yours?"

Ezio's heart quickened, "Yes, have you seen her? She was here at this market less than an hour ago."

Leonardo nodded. "I have. You are not going to like this."

"What happened?" Ezio and Remi spoke at the exact same time, concern and worry stapled on their faces.

"She was arrested. From what I saw, she assaulted a guard. Hit him on the nose. It wasn't pretty..." Leonardo pursed his lips, then continued, "Ezio if I had known she was yours I would have done something. I thought she was a bandit, a Cento Occhi. I think the guards did too."

Ezio inhaled sharply at this new information. "Why the hell would she do something like that?" he asked aloud, voice etched with disbelief, "She knows the dangers of provoking the guards. She wouldn't be this stupid."

"They bound her and took her north. I think they meant to head to the keep. If you hurry you could find her there before it's too late. But Ezio," Leonardo paused, placing a hand on Ezio's arm, "It didn't look like the guards were going to cut her any slack. She may not survive the night; they were very angry."

Ezio shook his head, but spoke to Leonardo in agreement. "I understand, Leonardo. Thank you."

He took off running down the street to the nearest stablemaster, and behind him Remi quickly followed. They spoke no words but their intention was clear: get to the guard keep, and get there _fast_.

* * *

Elsa was not faring well. In the last hour she had lost all hope; she had been poked, prodded, shoved, struck, and dragged all the way to the northern end of the city. Each time she would take a step, the helmetless guard would make it his mission to trip her up by kicking at her feet or jamming an arm into her back. Nico scolded the man, saying that doing this would only waste time and elongate their trip. The helmetless guard obeyed, to Elsa's relief, but he didn't let up his glare to the back of her head.

Finally, at one point, Elsa saw a break in the guard circle around her when one man hesitated momentarily to remove his helmet and wipe something out of his eye. It was only a split second, but Elsa took the chance by wrenching herself free of the grasp of the guard holding her arm. He was taken by surprise, and in a moment she was already a few feet away, slipping through the muddy street and doing her best to keep balanced with her hands tied behind her back. She was frantic, desperate, and disconcerted, and by now was taking any and all chances possible to escape. She had no idea what was going to happen to her.

A more agile guard, one of the men who wielded small daggers rather than a bulky sword or spear, was the first to react. He chased her down in a matter of seconds and tackled her, knocking her to the ground and causing her head to smack down hard against the stone road. Her vision blurred, partially from the mud and rain, and partially from the impact. She let out a muffled scream, but the streets were virtually clear of people or anyone who could possibly come to her aid. The guard wrenched her to her feet, and she slipped once, the ground slick with mud. Her clothes were soaked and muddy, and she began to shiver. She wasn't sure if it was due to the coldness and the moisture or because she was terrified, or perhaps because her head was throbbing so badly she almost couldn't see straight.

"You _really_ don't want to try that again," the guard hissed in her ear, dragging her back to the group.

Elsa was breathing heavily, her heart beating a mile a minute. Warmth seeped down the side of her face, and she knew it wasn't the rain, rather her head was bleeding where it had made impact with the ground.

_This is bad. This is very, very bad, _Elsa told herself, doing her best to blink out the rain and blood from her eyes. She felt sick, cold, and stupid. Very stupid. She'd already learned her lesson the first time, but somehow she got herself into trouble _again_. She knew how to be discreet; she knew how to handle herself, but for some reason today it had all slipped her mind from the moment she left the base with Ezio. He had taught her all these formidable skills and she'd failed every single one. If this were a test, she'd have gotten a big, whopping zero.

Nico walked over to face her, a cold sneer on his face. She was slumped down, staring down at the mud, eyes heavy and head pounding. If it wasn't for two men holding her by her arms, she would be face down on the ground, as her knees had given out almost completely.

"Little assassin, there's eight of us and one of you," he began, and Elsa shuddered at his use of the pet name, "It would be wise to not do that again. Lanzo here has got a bone to pick with you, and you _probably _don't want to give me reason to let him." He motioned toward the helmetless guard when he said the name, and the man, apparently Lanzo, shot her a scathing look.

"However," Nico continued, "we can't have you doing that again. Cesare would be very disappointed if we let an assassin escape our grasp. Perhaps this will teach you a lesson."

Confused, Elsa glanced up just in time to see Nico's fist coming straight for her. It made contact with her abdomen, momentarily incapacitating her diaphragm and knocking all the air from her lungs. At first, it wasn't so much painful as it was excruciatingly uncomfortable. She retched, unable to inhale properly. The gag in her mouth made it all the worse, and for a second she was almost positive she'd be dead right then and there due to asphyxiation. It was ten times harder to breathe, and she felt like her stomach had twisted in a knot. Within a second the pain hit, and she doubled over, still hanging by her arms but curling down and raising her knees up slightly.

"Stand her up," Nico commanded, and the men lifted her up again, doing their best to keep her upright. She was doing absolutely nothing to help them, rather she was as limp as possible, knees relaxed and head lolling down to the side, curling herself forward as best as possible to avoid another punch like that.

He hit her again, this time the fist connecting with her right side, slamming straight into the bruised scar that resided there. Her teeth clenched around the cloth and she let out a strangled screech through linen and teeth, almost half-growl. Gnashing her teeth, she waited for the pain to reside, but it wouldn't.

Another punch. Then another. Her vision was darkening, and her stomach was churning. It was all Elsa could do to keep from throwing up; doing so could possibly kill her due to the gag. She could choke, and the men would probably just let her die. A fist connected to the side of her face, the same side she had received a blow to earlier, and she let out a muffled wail, grinding teeth against the cloth. She was completely slumped over, and at first she didn't notice that Nico had stopped and one of the guards was standing in front of her, between her and Nico.

"Ignacio, move." Nico ordered, but the man wouldn't budge.

"Nico, I think that's enough." Ignacio said hesitantly, apparently afraid to stand up to his superior, and a few others nodded silently. Elsa might be an enemy, but they didn't want to be ruthless. She was still a human being, and this was all a little over the top.

Nico glared at him. "Stand down," he hissed, and Ignacio shuffled a bit but wouldn't actually get out of the way. Nico began to speak louder, standing taller and getting closer to Ignacio's face, "Know your place, soldier. I _said, _Stand. Down_._" He pronounced the words clearly, slowly, and threateningly, and Ignacio inhaled deeply.

"And _I_ say that's _enough_," Ignacio replied, his voice breaking at first but becoming stronger by the end.

Elsa watched in disbelief through bloody, blotched vision as Nico let out a breath and took a step back; it appeared he was actually following Ignacio's demands. How the hell was this man getting away with mouthing off to his superior? One would expect a serious penalty, most likely death.

Then, however, with a swift twist, Nico launched an arm forward and slammed his fist into Ignacio's face, causing Ignacio to fall back into a guard on Elsa's left side, who caught Ignacio before he fell over.

"Leave my sight, little brother. You are dismissed. _Permanently_." Nico growled, shaking his hand which was no doubt bruised from the punch and giving Elsa a quick glare. Then it all made sense. _Brother_. That was probably the only reason Ignacio was still breathing.

Elsa stared, or at least did her best to stare through swollen eyes, as Ignacio held his smarting face for a moment, seething, watching as his brother and the group briskly walked away and left him standing in the middle of the street. With nothing else to do, he plodded down the streets at a slow pace and finally slumped down on a bench, leaning back against the wall and watching the rain fall.

* * *

The hurried wet clop of the horse's hooves against muddy stone rang throughout the streets as Ezio and Remigio raced to the keep. The poor horses were doing their best at keeping up speed, but with the slick floor and all the stairs and corners it was taking a while.

One thing that alarmed Ezio was that he hadn't seen any guards standing at their posts as he made his way through the streets. He knew they were all most likely standing just indoors or out of the open due to the downpour, but the sight of such barren streets gave him chills. This only made him urge his horse faster, and while he rode he prayed silently to every god he knew to help him find Elsa before it was too late.

Remigio followed right behind Ezio, guiding his horse to mimic Ezio's. He was worried as well, and he was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice Ezio's horse abruptly coming to a halt in the middle of the street. Ezio swung off his horse in one fluid motion and the next thing Remigio saw was Ezio slamming his hand around the neck of a lone guard who had been sitting by the road and smashing him into the wall, almost lifting the man off his feet. It was Ignacio, though Remi and Ezio had no idea who he was.

Ignacio let out a surprised choke, grasping weakly at Ezio's hand around his neck and at his sheathed weapon, trying in vain to free himself from Ezio's furious grasp. Remi ran up next to Ezio, gawking at the entire situation. Without a doubt, this was the meanest, angriest look Remi had ever seen Ezio make. If the look had been directed at him, Remi would've pissed his pants without hesitation.

Ezio glared at the squirming man, then began to speak in a deep, growling tone, "Where is she?"

Ignacio's eyes widened as he tried to speak, and Ezio let his grip up slightly. The ex-guard inhaled a raspy breath. "What are you talking about?" he finally replied, eyes etched with terror.

"Your guardsmen have taken someone. This _someone_ holds great importance to me. I suggest you tell me where she is, or so help me guard I will not think twice before I -"

Ignacio interrupted him, voice still raspy and forced, "The assassin girl?"

Ezio's eyes hardened, and he asked the question again, more forcedly, "Where is she? Is she at the keep?"

"N-no she isn't, hold on. Loosen up - I'll tell you anything, just let me go. I'm no guard, assassin." Ignacio was sputtering, trying to get a grip.

Ezio's frown deepened but didn't let up his grip. "Your apparel shows otherwise, _guard_. My patience is thinning. Tell me where she is."

"I will tell you. But you must let me go."

Ezio took a step back from him, jerking his hands off the man's armor sharply. "Fine," he almost spat the word, "Now, speak."

"The other guards, they're taking her to Cesare." Ignacio replied as he rubbed his sore neck with his hand, and Ezio faltered for a second.

"_What?" _he hissed, subconsciously taking a step forward and unsheathing his hidden blades, which glinted in the rain. If Elsa was going to Cesare, there was almost no hope for her. This was extremely bad news.

"I - I, yes, to Cesare," Ignacio stuttered, eyeing the weapons warily, "when she resisted, they..." he trailed off.

Ezio's stomach dropped. Immediately his mind went to its darkest places. He knew what power-drunken men were capable of, especially when it came to a young woman. His family had experienced it first hand.

"They... what?" he asked hesitantly.

"They beat her.. ruthlessly. I could not be a part of it. That is why I am not with them - when it got to the point where I knew she couldn't take any more, I told them to stand down, to stop. I resisted, and now I am no longer a part of the guard." Ignacio didn't sound fretful, rather he sounded defiant, proud of himself.

Ezio was relieved that the men hadn't assaulted her the way he _thought_ they had, but this news hit him hard. He heard the tone of voice Ignacio used and misread it as taunting, and his eyes darkened as he held his blade up to Ignacio's neck, pressing it hard and causing a small break in the skin. A thin trail of blood trickled down.

"So you pride yourself a torturer as well as a traitor, I take it?" he said, cocking his head to the side and curling his lip.

Ignacio paled, shaking his head, dumbstruck due to the knife held at his throat. This was not going the way he intended at all.

Remi stepped in and put a hand on Ezio's shoulder. "Ezio we must find her, and quickly," he said urgently, and Ezio nodded in agreement, then sheathed his knives and stepped back away from Ignacio.

"Leave this place, guard. You are fortunate you still live." Ezio boomed, jamming his index finger down the road, opposite the direction he intended to go.

Ignacio gave a curt bow and turned to flee as Ezio mounted his horse.

The two men took off north; they had a longer trip than they'd expected, and this was proving to be much more difficult than Ezio had hoped. His mind whirled, worry accenting every thought. The guards were one thing. Ezio could handle them. Cesare, on the other hand, was completely different. He presented a completely different set of obstacles. First would be simply _finding_ her in Cesare's fortress. Ezio could only hope she'd be taken to the cells there - he knew where those were.

Another issue would be timing everything correctly. Hopefully, Cesare wasn't currently in Rome - he was often gone, continuing his campaign for power in other areas. Even if he was gone, the Borgia's personal papal guards were a force to be reckoned with, totally different from the guards that littered the city. He would need help. He thought for a moment, then remembered he _did _have help.

"Remigio, I need you to do something, and quickly!" Ezio shouted to Remi, pulling his horse to a stop. Remi looked at him expectantly, holding a hand up to shield the rain from his eyes.

"Anything," Remi replied quickly, listening earnestly for Ezio's orders, "What do you need?"

"Go to the hideout and round up my recruits. They should all be back by now. Then meet me near the bridge that crosses to the Vatican - and make sure they're armed. We are not attacking head on, but I need them to be prepared in case I require their assistance. I'll wait there until you arive."

Remi nodded and without hesitation spurred his horse back to the south. They were closer to the hideout than they were to the Vatican district, so Remi wouldn't have too long of a run.

Ezio continued making his way north toward the Castel Sant'Angelo, determination coursing through his veins. He would get Elsa out of there alive if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

**Alright friends! What do you think? Good? Bad? I need opinions here, or I'll just be digging myself in a hole I don't even know about, and that would be, needless to say, tragic on my part. x)  
Thanks for reading! **


	14. AN

**(Just a note for you all, not a chapter, I'm so sorry. Don't want to get anyone's hopes up but I didn't want you all to think I've disappeared. I haven't forgotten this story, I promise!)**

My dearest readers,

I'm sorry I haven't updated this story in way too long! Thank you to everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and favorited. You help a lot!

I have the next chapter about halfway done. What with finishing up school and such, I haven't had the time to get much writing in. If all goes well, by the end of next week, I should have it updated and the next chapter here.

Thank you all so much for your patience!

Much love,

~Battlekitten94

* * *

Reviews responses:  
Suyia: Her hair is more wavy - almost curly, but not tight curls or an afro-looking thing. ;)

loquacious gabby: Thank you! :) I'm so glad you like it; I was getting a little worried for a while that maybe my chapters were going downhill.. xD But I'm quite relieved!


	15. Chapter 14

**Goodness me, I'm sorry this is so late. **

**So much has been going on.. I don't know where to start. Things have been so crazy that I forgot completely about this story.. **

**Anyways, here's that portion of the chapter I had promised so long ago.. I'll try to start updating quicker again but I can't be sure. **

**Sorry for the wait. :\**

**Thanks for being so patient, everyone.**

* * *

Elsa hadn't been paying much attention to where she was going. She resigned to watching her feet as she stumbled forward and was dragged by the guards. She had fallen into a routine: left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. With each step came a shooting pain in her ribs that would cause her to cringe and hold her breath, and she decided that if a rib wasn't broken, it was bruised horribly. The side of her face that Nico had hit with his armored glove was swollen so badly that she couldn't see out of that eye, and the ropes that were tied around her wrists, combined with the wet rain, were rubbing the skin raw. The gag was soaked and had been chafing the sides of her mouth, so her only solace was to grit her teeth tightly around the cloth and pray for a miracle, which she had stopped hoping for long ago.

In short, she was absolutely miserable.

After way too long, the guards halted to a stop, and Elsa glanced up, her one good eye doing its best to capture its surroundings despite the heavy rainfall. They had come upon a massive building, a fortress, in which when she looked up, she could barely see where the gigantic dome came to a point and sported a massive red and gold flag. Around the building at its base was a huge fortified wall, with heavily-armored guards posted every hundred feet or so.

This was bad. This was very bad.

The guards shouted out something she didn't catch, and in front of them a giant portcullis was raised, and in they marched. She glanced to the sides and saw countless guards patrolling the area. A few of them stopped to watch, obviously confused as to why seven guards were escorting a broken woman to Cesare's fortress.

Behind her, Elsa heard the portcullis close behind her and come to a loud clang as the bottom connected with the stone ground. She now officially felt the full weight of her predicament. She was not getting out of this. Even Ezio, with everything he could do, would probably not survive an assault on a place like this. He had.. what, eight recruits? And half of them almost brand new? Nine people, regardless of their strength and abilities, cannot successfully carry out this difficult a mission.

The guards pulled her along a muddy stone path and into an archway at the base of the massive building. Yet another gate was closed behind her, and she was feeling more and more claustrophobic, especially now, as she was surrounded by guards and was in a dank tunnel. After a second, they entered a much larger area, and she was led across the room and down stairs, then more stairs, and then some more, and finally reached the destination: It appeared they were in some sort of dungeon. Her bindings were removed and she was shoved into a small, bare iron cell.

As she stumbled in, Nico removed his helmet and stood at the entrance, glaring at her with a strange expression. He had a sneer curling on his lips and his eyes flashed with a strange hunger as he stepped into the cell. This was the first time she'd seen his entire face, and to be honest, he was terrifying. He could've actually had a decent-looking face, if not for three jagged scars that stretched from the top right corner, down across his nose, and around to the left side of his jaw. He had a full head of inky hair that stuck to the sides of his head and ears in its wetted state.

He turned to the other guards. "Cesare certainly won't mind if we play with his pretty little captive a while, will he?"

The other guards snickered amongst each other, and Nico chuckled darkly.

Elsa's heart lurched into her throat. Being beaten up was one thing, but _this_? This was a whole new level of bad. Panicking, she flattened herself in the corner of the cell despite her body's painful protests, curling her knees in front of her and sinking to the floor.

"Get up," Nico hissed as he gripped a hand around her arm and yanked her to her feet, and she yelped involuntarily at the pain that shot through her ribs.

_No, no no no. Anything but this,_ she pleaded silently. She knew what he was about to do, and it was in this moment she finally realized that she had no chance of escape. Even if Ezio _did_ manage to find her, it'd be too late. She'd have been tortured, raped, and possibly killed by the time he found her. And that was on the off chance he even managed to make it to her in time.

"For an assassin, you sure don't fight much," Nico jeered as he shoved her against the wall, and Elsa cringed as he removed his armored gloves and reached out to tug on the strings of her shirt.

She squeaked in terror and smacked his hands away, doing her best to repel the man despite her weakened state and the fact that she was shaking uncontrollably.

Nico growled and caught her wrists in his hand. "Now, now. Don't want me tying you up again, do you girly?" He reached an arm forward and grabbed the neck of her shirt, then ripped down, tearing the tunic into two. Her bruised stomach was exposed, and she hoped desperately that Nico would let it be. Bruises hurt like a bitch. She shuddered and cringed away from him, and he stopped to look at her swollen cheekbone.

"Such a shame," he prodded a finger at the skin, and she hissed in pain. "to have tarnished such a pretty face."

Elsa felt a surge of anger. If he was going to do this, it sure as hell wasn't going to be easy for him. She gritted her teeth.

"Go fuck yourself," she gritted out, surprising herself on how confident her voice sounded.

Nico raised his brows at her. "Myself? Dear little assassin, you're standing right here. Much more convenient." His voice was deepening, and he nearly whispered the words as he drew closer.

She felt his hot breath on her neck and she gagged, squirming her arms to get him to release his grip. One of his hands traveled down her stomach and latched onto her belt, and he had just begun to loosen it as loud footsteps carried into the room and a man appeared at the base of the stairs.

"Nico," a loud voice echoed in the room, and Nico glanced up, frowning. Elsa let out a shaky breath, hoping desperately that Nico would be leaving.

"What?" Nico growled, annoyed at the interruption. The man at the stairs straightened up.

"Cesare is here. He requests the girl in the central library."

"Central library? Why the hell is she going there?"

"I haven't the slightest. Just get her up there."

Nico cursed under his breath and tightened his grip on her wrists tightly. "Looks like you just got lucky. Or, actually, I suppose not. It _is_ Cesare we're talking about."

He yanked her forward and out of the cell, and thus began her slow and painful ascent back up the stairs and, to her dismay, even _more_ stairs. And more.

After a few minutes of being led through various hallways and further and further into the building, she was taken into a large, open room. It appeared it literally was a 'central' room; it had no windows, because it was covered on all sides by - you guessed it - even more outer rooms. There was only one door that led into it, and the walls looked like they were twice as thick as the ones surrounding the other halls. It seemed to Elsa like it was without a doubt the most fortified location she had seen yet. It wasn't so much of a library as it was a meeting area. Yes, there were a few shelves with books, but otherwise it was bare. There was a large oval table in the middle and on one end sat a gigantic crackling fireplace surrounded by comfortable-looking chairs.

It seemed almost.. cozy.

Nico gripped the back of her open shirt and pushed her forward, causing her to stumble all the way in. A husky voice to which she couldn't see the owner carried out.

"That will be all, thank you."

Nico and the other guards bowed sharply and shut the large wooden door behind Elsa, and she stood motionlessly, eyes darting around the room. If she could find something - _anything_ - that would serve as a weapon, she could have a chance. A slim chance, but a chance nevertheless. But, it seemed that unless she had been trained in the art of 'book-wielding', there was nothing there.

A man suddenly stood from a chair that was facing away from Elsa, and she squeaked in surprise, stepping backward and bumping into a shelf.

"There, there," the man called out calmly, "Have no worries, I will not hurt you."

He approached her slowly, and as his face came into view, Elsa was surprised. His voice did not match his face. He had a very shrewd look to him, with cunning, dark eyes and a straight, almost dog-like nose. His hair was shimmery black and well-groomed, as was his facial hair, which had been trimmed and shaped quite well. It was such a strange thing; no one ever groomed themselves like this here. Even so, he had a look to him that made Elsa's skin crawl. He appeared too calm and much too smart, as if he were looking at her like a cat views a mouse.

As he came to stand in front of her, he inspected her bruised stomach, eyes traveling all the way up and finally focusing on her face. He frowned deeply, giving her a look of distaste and clicking his tongue, "Tsk tsk. Nico can be so grandiose with his tasks." He reached a hand up and delicately placed his fingers on the side of her jaw, holding her chin and turning it so he could get a better look at her face.

Elsa was frozen. She had no idea who this man was or what he was doing. Was he going to kill her? It didn't appear so, but then again, she'd learned with these people never to assume a thing.

"Come," the man beckoned her, and he turned and walked back over to the chairs next to the fire. Elsa didn't move, and after he had reached the fireplace he turned and gave her a condescending look, then pointed at the fire. "You are soaked. This is a fire. Put the two together and voila," he snapped his fingers, "magic."

Elsa stepped forward hesitantly, wincing in pain at each step. The man watched her approach and to her alarm put a long arm around her shoulders, then led her to the fire.

"See?" he said slowly, as if speaking to a child, "Warm. Warm is good, yes?"

Elsa sent him a scowl. "Don't touch me."

The man let out a jovial laugh. "Aha! She's still got a little fight in her!" He clapped his hands on her shoulders, which sent pain shooting through her torso and she winced. He pointed at a chair and she reluctantly sat in it, though internally she was relishing the warm comfort after so long. She took the different halves of her shirt that hung from her shoulders and wrapped them back around herself defensively.

"So," he began, sitting in a chair across from her, "Nico claims you're an assassin. Tell me, little lady. How did someone as young and promising as yourself get caught up with the Roman Assassins? Surely you had other options..."

Elsa stared at him, refusing to speak. Was this Cesare? She had heard so much about his cruelty, but so far he was the most friendly person in this whole castle. Then again, the nicest ones can be the worst...

Cesare watched her with sharp eyes, and he sighed, placing his hands on his knees. "I am at an impasse, darling girl. I don't _want_ to send a woman so beautiful and skilled as yourself to die, but if I cannot find a use for you, I will have no choice. Now, you could refuse to speak and send yourself to the noose, or you can speak to me in a civilized manner and answer my questions. If you choose option number two," he held up two fingers, "I may let you live."

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but she was too stunned to make a sound. What on earth would he do with her if he let her live? Certainly not let her go...

"And what will become of me if I do give you the answers you seek?" Elsa spoke up, speaking as strongly as possible.

Cesare looked pleased. "I will grant you pardon. But," he held up a finger, "know this: A traitor to the Assassins has but one safe place. And that is with me."

"Traitor?" Elsa squeaked, shocked. "I am no traitor!"

He sighed. "Let me clarify. If you do not speak, you will die a traitor to Rome. If you do speak, you will be a traitor to your guild, but Rome will honor you and you will be given full protection. Now, which is more important? Do you really value your little killers so much that you would die honorless and without cause?"

Elsa was still having difficulty speaking. This was all too much. Was he really giving her a choice? Betray Ezio or die?

She cleared her throat, trying to bide her time. "Wha-What do you want to know..?"

He gave her a big grin. "That's what I wanted to hear! You've chosen well. Smart girl. You do show promise after all. Let's see. I am quite curious as to how you ended up with the Assassins' guild here."

Elsa froze. No way was she going to tell him the truth about that! If this Cesare found out that she knew everything about Ezio, Ezio wouldn't stand a chance. She cleared her throat. Bring on the bullshit. "I was reprimanded for uh... stealing. And the assassins came to my aid. Been with them ever since."

Cesare's smile disappeared, and he gave her a harsh look. "I know this is difficult for you, but I recognize a lie when I see one. Now, I will ask this question again. How did you come to be an assassin?"

"I... I can't tell you," Elsa was panicking. What would Cesare do with the knowledge of the Apple and ancient civilizations and time travel? Knowledge is power, and she wasn't going to give him any.

His eyes flashed angrily, and all pleasantness that he could've had before disappeared. "You are making a grave mistake," he hissed, standing and approaching her quickly. "I can get my information in another way, you know. I said nothing of your death being an easy one."

Elsa shrunk down in her chair, and to her relief he didn't touch her, and instead he took a deep breath and straightened up, calming down quickly. He smoothed a hand over his hair and brushed off his red tunic.

"I have nothing but time," he sniffed, giving her a wry grin. He walked over to the door and took out a key, holding it up and dangling it for a second. "I think I'll just keep you in here. This is the last place your little friends would look, should they manage to show up or try some sort of daring rescue. Don't even think for a minute about escaping. I've got my guards here." He opened the door to prove his point, and sure enough, Elsa saw at least eight guards crowded around the large door.

Cesare exited the room and shut the door, and Elsa heard it lock with a loud 'clack'. Though she knew what she should be doing, which was trying to find a way to escape, her body finally let the exhaustion kick in, and she stumbled over next to the fire and lay down on the ground beside it, nursing her swollen bruises. She only had a moment before her body forced her into slumber.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and the rain had intensified by the time the recruits had finally found Ezio waiting for them under the Vatican bridge. Ezio had told them that even though the city guards had taken shelter, the Papal guards would still be out, vigilantly guarding their posts. So in this case, the rain was only going to slow them down.

Valentino and Stefano had the most experience, so Ezio suggested that they stick with him. He told the rest of the recruits to stay nearby and listen for his signals in case he needed help.

With that, Ezio and his two recruits utilized the bridge by climbing along underneath it, using little notches as footholds and leaping across large gaps. By doing this, they avoided the guards' sight and actually stayed out of the rain for the most part. Not that it mattered, as they were soaked, but it did make the field of vision a little clearer.

As they climbed up on the far wall, Ezio saw there was a surprising amount of Vatican Cardinals bustling about despite the downpour, which he was quite grateful for. This would provide exactly what he needed. He and the recruits slid in alongside a few Cardinals who were using their large hats as rainblocks, and the three blended in quite nicely. Ezio pushed through the men and approached a large archway that opened up to the inside of the wall. It was heavily guarded, which disheartened Ezio. In such a public place, taking out this many guards would be futile.

He stood there a moment, considering what to do, when suddenly he felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Boss, you might want to check this," Valentino urged, drawing Ezio's attention. A guard was walking through the Cardinals, making a beeline for Ezio and his recruits. Ezio backed up a bit, pulling his hood down further over his head and his recruits followed his lead. He nonchalantly made his way over to an empty, dark corner and leaned against the wall, watching the guard in his peripherals. As the guard drew closer, Ezio drew his hidden blades, which unsheathed with a slight swishing sound, and prepared to kill the man.

Unexpectedly, the guard ducked low and glanced around quickly before removing his helmet and slinking over to Ezio, holding his hands up inoffensively. Ezio didn't lower his guard, but he did mutter a quick order to his recruits to stay their blades.

The guard approached Ezio, and Ezio recognized him as the man he had confronted in the street hours earlier. Ignacio.

"What are you doing here?" Ezio hissed, and the guard pressed a finger to his mouth.

"I can help you," Ignacio whispered back, glancing around furtively.

"And how would you do that?" Stefano growled, placing a hand to his blade.

Ignacio held up his hands. "No time to waste, I just implore that you trust me on this."

Ezio frowned. "Trust must be earned."

"Then let me earn it," Ignacio whispered back, getting anxious. "Meet me out here tonight. If all goes correctly, you will have her back before morning."

With a reluctant glare, Ezio finally nodded, then jammed his finger into Ignacio's chest plate. "Do what you must. But if I find that you are untrue to your word, _G__uard_, you will not see the light of day. I will find you, I will hurt you, and I will kill you. Do you understand me?"

Ignacio nodded. "Yes, yes I understand completely. And I am no guard, I told you. But now I must go. We have little time to waste."

He placed his helmet back on his head, returning his identity to anonymous, and entered the compound with ease, his guard outfit granting him complete access to the area.

Valentino looked at Ezio through his hood. "Now what?"

"Now," Ezio began, grimacing, "we wait."


	16. Chapter 15

**Alright, readers. This is an M-rated romantic story, yes? And although I've never actually written smutty goodness, I think it's high time they reach that point. I've been dancing around with the two of them, unsure of when to have them take the leap, but I think for the story to reach a certain depth, I need to cross that border. ;)**

**And I will seriously warn you. This is indeed M-rated, intense stuff here. Well, at least for my taste, I don't know about you guys...**

**I'll just put a warning/header right before the scene and allow whoever pleases to skip over it. It's sort of the whole chapter, though. Beware...**

**I'm already anticipating angry reviews and I don't even know why.. ****If anyone gets offended by this in any way, just saying this for future reference, I'm so SORRY! D:**

**Otherwise, enjoy. ;)**

* * *

Elsa was still lying by the dying fire that night when she heard the large door creak open. She sat up painfully, squinting through the low light to get a glimpse of who or what was coming through the door. By now, she'd accepted her fate. She wasn't going to betray Ezio, and if that meant torture and death, so be it. His safety was a thousand times more important than her own comfort. Not only that but he had an entire group of people he was in charge of, who he vowed to watch over and train, and she wasn't going to betray them either.

But one thing was for sure: she'd never see Ezio again, never would get the chance to hear his beautiful voice or kiss him, never would she get to wrap her arms around him or feel his protective arms around her. It hurt, that level of loss, it hurt so strongly, that the feeling overwhelmed her and almost caused her to forget someone had entered the room.

If this was Cesare coming back to manipulate answers from her, he was going to have a hard time doing it.

The swelling in her eye had gone down to the point of where she could see out of it now, but it still hurt badly. The cheekbone was still a bit swollen and painful to the touch. So, she'd be able to see whoever it was that had just come in, it'd just hurt to do so.

Rather than Cesare, however, and to her surprise, it was a lone guard. She automatically defensively shied away as he swiftly walked toward her, and she backed herself up until she couldn't go any further, pressing herself up against a chair and tensing, her ribs and head throbbing painfully.

"Shhh," she heard the guard whisper, and rather than grabbing her or yanking her around, he knelt down next to her, gingerly hovering his hands over her as if he was hesitant to touch her. "I am going to get you out of here, but you absolutely _must_ do exactly what I say and roll with what I do. Understand?" His voice was calm and collected, and she thought she remembered hearing it somewhere, but she couldn't place it.

Stunned, Elsa dumbly nodded, knowing that no matter what she did, if she stayed, she was going to die eventually. If this was real, if he was legitimately serious about saving her, it'd be a miracle. She had nothing to lose, so why not give it a try?

"Alright," the guard huffed, placing one hand around her waist and placing her arm over his shoulder so he could help her up, "Say absolutely nothing, don't look anyone in the eye."

Elsa nodded again, the entire thing seeming sort of unreal. After everything she'd gone through this past day, she wouldn't be surprised if this was all a dream, her body's way of denying reality.

Once she was standing, the guard gently pulled her hands behind her back and tied them with a cord of rope, "I'm so sorry, _madonna,_ only doing this for show."

Elsa didn't care what he did, as long as she got out of this wretched place. The guard nudged her to begin walking, and with each step came a pain in her ribs, taking the breath from her lungs and almost making her stoop in pain. _I. M__ust. Keep. Going._ She pushed herself, gritting her teeth and forcing herself to keep walking.

They exited the doors, and though she kept her eyes to the ground, she saw at least five pairs of guard feet to the side. Whatever her savior had said to them, it must have worked, because they allowed her through without a fight.

It seemed like hours before the guard led her out a side door into the open air. It'd probably only been more like a few minutes, but due to her constant pain, the time seemed prolonged. The ground was wet, but it had stopped raining for the most part. The night air was cool and wet, filled with the smell of grass and rain and fresh water. It rejuvenated her senses, which wasn't exactly a good thing because in doing so, the pain heightened as well.

"Almost there," the guard whispered, sneaking through the dark toward a small opening in the gigantic stone wall. As they exited the wall, the guard released a breath and stopped them both, untying her hands and placing an arm around her waist to support her again. She was so thankful for the help in walking that she practically leaned on him completely, sagging against his armor.

They walked about forty or so paces out and then stopped in the safety of the dark under a tunnel-like archway, and he allowed her to relax against the stone wall while he whistled sharply.

Almost immediately, three figures dropped down into view, and Elsa couldn't believe her eyes. She'd recognize that walk, that hood, that assassin, anywhere.

"Ezio," she cried in a sob, the sheer relief of seeing him in front of her causing her to begin to collapse. He ran over to her in four brisk steps, placing one arm around her waist to support her and pressing her back against the wall so she could stay upright.

He held an extremely gentle hand at her jaw, his golden eyes inspecting her from under his hood with a strained expression. When he saw her swollen face, the bruises on her cheeks and eye, his jaw clenched tightly and he inhaled sharply, then growled something under his breath.

Elsa felt like she should've been stronger. She should have said she was fine. But she couldn't be strong, not yet. She leaned forward, placing her forehead on her assassin's chest and sobbing silently, the pain in her torso and head only adding to her condition.

He immediately wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to put all her weight on him, and he began speaking to the guard who had saved her. Elsa couldn't tell what they were saying. Her heart was pounding in her ears, her throat, her eyes. She couldn't see anything clearly, the relief washing over her so strongly that the only thing keeping her upright was Ezio's strong arm around her. He was there for her. He was holding her close, claiming her, giving her a sense of security she couldn't get from anyone else. It was only when she was with him did she feel truly safe, as if no one, not even Cesare himself, could break through the barrier that was her man, her Ezio.

Sooner or later she was somehow on a horse, its hooves echoing through the city as it hurried through the wet, dark, empty streets. Ezio hadn't removed her from his side, keeping one arm around her waist at all times, holding her firmly to him as they rode. She felt thankful; she was so exhausted that there was no way she would've managed this herself.

Her eyes fluttered open when the horse stopped, and she realized she must have dozed during the ride. Ezio lifted her off the horse simply, placing her into Stefano's arms before dismounting himself. She was carried into the hideout, brought upstairs, and placed into a bed before she truly managed to come to her senses. There was a single lamp lit in the corner of the closed room which managed to barely illuminate Ezio and herself, but other than that, the room was relatively dark. The door was closed and the only sound was of her own heartbeat and Ezio shuffling around.

Ezio's voice woke her completely. "Where are you hurt?"

She attempted to speak, her mouth feeling dry and slightly swollen, "Um," she began, licking her lips once to speak clearer, "My ribs, mostly. And obviously my face."

Without a second question, he removed her shirt and hissed at the sight of her mottled, bruised stomach. He inspected her abdomen, brows clenching and a frown set deep in his lips.

"I suppose I don't have to ask where it hurts the most," he mumbled, taking a cool, wet cloth and running it as gently as possible over her painful ribcage. It stung, and Elsa hissed painfully and tensed, but she allowed him to work his magic. The fact that she was here, in the safety of Ezio's arms and far away from Cesare and his guards, it was almost more than she could handle.

He handed her a vial of salts and she took it gladly, allowing the substance to kick in and soothe the immediate aches and pains.

When she looked back at him, the wet cloth he was holding was blotched in dark blood.

"Wh-what happened?" she asked, staring at the bloodied cloth.

He gave her a peculiar look, "Elsa, I know less than you do," he replied, "I'm only cleaning the aftermath. You've got bruises and cuts all over your stomach."

"I..." she trailed off. Nico's attacks must have been more intense than she realized, if his armored gloves had actually cut the skin.

"Your ribs are not broken, though, not from what I can tell," Ezio commented, and Elsa felt relieved. That meant two things: much less pain, and much faster healing time. The pain was already fading, and Elsa realized it must have been mostly the cuts themselves causing the pain. Ezio looked upset as he wiped the blood from her stomach though, his brows furrowing and his jaw tight. He then retrieved a few bandages for the larger cuts, wrapping them once and tying it off. Already, the pain was leaving, and now the only pain she felt was for Ezio.

"Ezio, I'm so sorry," she felt a lump form in her throat, and it was all she could do to keep from crying again. This was not her day.

"For what?" he turned his head to look at her, softening his expression immediately when he saw hers.

"All of this. Me. I'm nothing but a hassle for you and I hold you back. You shouldn't have to do all of this."

He paused what he was doing and leaned down a little closer toward her, placing a gentle hand on her not-so-bruised cheek, brushing her red hair from her eyes. "Elsa," he began, his voice rich but tired, "If I truly thought you to be such a trouble, do you think I would be here right now?"

"It's just," she began, creasing her brows and sighing painfully, biting her lip, "I know I'm a burden. I can't do anything right. I love you so much it hurts, but I can't help but feel like you would be so much happier and better-off if I hadn't arrived here in the first place."

His eyes closed in a sigh and he placed the towel into the bucket of water, setting it by the bed. He then sat down beside her on the bed, placing one arm over her, bracing it on the sheets, and the other hand tracing her jaw with his thumb.

"Elsa," he repeated her name, and she couldn't help but shiver when he said it, fully aware of their proximity. "Any man who views you as a burden is undeserving of your love. I cherish every moment I have with you. The only thing I regret about your arrival is that it didn't happen sooner."

Now, Elsa couldn't help it. She let her eyes fill up with tears, raising a hand up to touch his stubbly jaw, and he placed a hand on hers.

He leaned his head down, placing a kiss to her forehead, but that wasn't what she needed right now. She'd been captured, beaten, abused, and starved that day, and she needed a healthy dose of comforting assassin. (Strangest phrase to ever pop into her head.) When she thought she had lost him, that she would never get to hold him again, that had been the turning point.

She needed him now, and she needed all of him.

**Commencing smut in 3... 2... 1...**

Elsa wrapped her fingers into the hair behind his ear and coaxed his face to hers, capturing his scarred lips with her own. He seemed tense at first, worried he'd somehow hurt her, but as she intensified the kiss, he relaxed into her grip, kissing her earnestly and allowing her to claim him. She gripped his tunic with one hand, pulling him toward her so that he ended up hovering over her on the bed, legs placed on the sides of her own and his elbows bracing him up.

He smoothed his tongue along her bottom lip and she immediately granted full access, savoring the cool taste of his lips, a mix of rain, salt, and something fresh that she couldn't quite place. His stubbly chin brushed her face and then her neck as he made his way to the sensitive skin at the base of it, which heightened each nerve ending, sending tingles through her entire body. She let out a quiet moan and he returned to her lips, responding by kissing her with more passion, more fervor than she had ever experienced before. His hands ran along her exposed sides, alighting each nerve as they went, and she responded by pulling at the strings on his tunic, trying to untie the layers that protected him.

With a final frustrated pull, she had to break away from the kiss to focus on his ties and he chuckled quietly, obliging to help remove his hood and armor. As soon as the final layer was thrown onto the floor, she reveled in the beauty that was this man. Strong, olive-skinned toned muscles rippled in the low light, stretching lean sinew across muscle and moving lithely, beautifully, as he leaned back down to kiss her again. She braided her fingers into his hair, pulling at the ties that held it in place and setting it free, letting it drape across both their faces and shield them, placing her in a secret, private world far away from the fear and the pain of the day.

His warm abdomen brushed up against hers, an action that _should_ have resulted in pain due to her injuries, but right now her body was so on fire and in tune with his that it did absolutely nothing but fuel the flames that were building deep in her core. She let out another soft moan against his mouth as his hand traveled up her side, cupping perfectly around one covered breast.

He unclasped her primitive bra, pulling it from her chest and thus leaving nothing between them, and she squirmed at the anticipation growing, pooling deep within her. The cool air brought her nerves to alertness, and she let out a gasp when Ezio's thumb brushed over a rosy bud, causing it to perk and making her whole body shiver under his touch.

He traveled down again, his lips making their way down her neck and over the delicate, sensitive skin in a complicated, expert dance. His hands worked in coordination with his mouth against her breasts, swirling, massaging, bringing waves of pleasure. He then continued downward, very lightly planting loving, healing kisses on the bruises that littered her abdomen, and she couldn't help but tear up again. It was too much, the way he was oh-so-softly placing his lips on each bruise and cut and scar, soothing the pain and the hurt that had followed them. As he did this, he slowly, gently removed her trousers before tossing them to the side, letting them fall on the pile of his own hood and robes.

He took a moment to study her, eyes heavily-lidded and lips barely parted. When he saw her tears he paused.

"Am I hurting you?" he asked her earnestly, honey eyes locking on her deep green ones and his hands running through her hair softly.

"N-never," Elsa breathed, then with an almost laugh, "Quite the opposite, actually." She shifted again, reaching up and locking her fingers into his hair, pulling him down for a kiss that he returned with renewed passion.

Elsa ran her hands down his strong, firmly-muscled chest, over his lean stomach and down to the ties on his pants. At her touch, a low growl rumbled up from his chest and he lowered his lips to the crook of her neck, alighting her nerves in fire again. Amidst her mewling and fiddling with the strings, Elsa finally managed to free him from his confines, and he helped remove the remainder of his trousers before returning his full attention to her.

He pressed down, and she felt his arousal pressing against her, showing her once more how true this really was. The fact that he was just as engrossed in this as she was gave her the extra confidence to keep going.

Ezio made his way back down, planting soft kisses as he went, with hands softly massaging her breasts, thumbs brushing expertly over the tips and sending shooting waves of erotic pleasure through her body, straight into her core. He was growing nearer and nearer to that forbidden spot, until his facial stubble brushed against her inner thigh and made her gasp.

With one swift motion her underwear was tossed down to the pile of clothes and his hands were all over her, smoothing their way down, down, until finally, _finally_, they reached that spot, first one long, expert finger, then two, filling her and bringing her almost to the brink already, causing her to cry out his name, gripping her hands into the bed sheets.

He let out a quiet sigh as he did this, pleased with how much her body obviously craved his touch. She was already _so_ wet, so ready, so wanton for his love, and he was prepared to return it tenfold.

Elsa's mind was spinning, unable to form coherent thoughts, the only thing she was truly able to focus on was Ezio and what he was doing to her. And just when she thought she couldn't take any more, he bumped it up a notch, and she cried out as she felt his lips close down around that little bundle of nerves, swirling, twirling, bringing her closer and closer to the edge. His fingers worked in synchronization with his tongue, sending shooting waves of pleasure rocketing through her, replacing the memories of the day with the present moment, with what was going on right now, right here.

She felt sweat beading her forehead and neck, and she knew she wouldn't make it much further, not if Ezio kept this up. With each swirl of his tongue, her mewling became louder, turning into cries of pleasure, crying his name, pleading him, begging him to continue.

She was almost there, nearing that edge where she could finally tumble off, when suddenly his hands and mouth were absent, leaving nothing but emptiness in their wake.

Elsa let out an almost frustrated whine, which was interrupted as Ezio captured her lips with his own, sharing her heady, erotic taste from his own lips, bringing her only _more_ pleasure. As he did this, she felt him begin to fill her with his length, pushing her to the brink, causing her to break the kiss and cry out in both pleasure and subtle pain as he stretched her more than she'd ever experienced before. He broke her cry again with a passionate kiss as he sheathed himself in her completely, letting out a groan himself at the sensation.

They hesitated there, and she could almost feel him shivering with restraint, the muscles in his arms quivering delicately and yet still tensed, flexing tightly in a level of control that was nearly breaking him. Elsa couldn't help it though, and almost unintentionally her hips bucked upward, taking him in deeper and causing him to hiss loudly. He began a slow rhythm, taking great care not to grip her bruised sides or somehow hurt her, but she needed more. Bruises and cuts heal fine, and right now, her best medicine was him.

She quickened the pace, and Ezio groaned, taking her into his arms and lifting her up off the bed, rolling them both over so he was sitting partway up and she was straddling him, allowing for an even greater level of penetration and putting Elsa in a high she wasn't sure she'd come off of. They set off at a steady pace, each sliding thrust sending her further toward the brink. With a few more bursts she finally felt that first irreversible jolt of pleasure rocket through her, clenching her walls tightly around him in a cry of passion, allowing the climax to pulse through her nerves and tingle at her fingertips.

Ezio clenched his jaw and let an almost animalistic growl rip itself from his chest and continued his pace, unrelenting even as Elsa came down from her first high. He gripped her lower back, pulling her to him and kissing her fervently, passionately, connecting on a level that no one can in any other way.

The pace increased, each thrust pulling them both closer again, each one filling her more and more, hitting that spot deep inside her and sending vibrations and shudders of pleasure jolting through her even stronger than before. He held her tightly against himself, wrapping his arms around her and holding her almost immobile now as he continued his now heightened pace.

Elsa's breaths now came in short bursts, as did Ezio's, each one of them moaning in synch as they both neared that point.

With one quick twist Elsa was on her back again and he was above her, and he placed his hands on the backs of her knees and pressed deeper, allowing for more friction and depth. With both of them now so close to that point, Ezio picked up an almost inhuman speed, rocking his hips against hers so vigorously that Elsa forgot to even breathe.

The feeling was almost indescribable. With each plunge he made came such an intense wave of sheer, pure bliss, the feeling so powerful that it overrode literally every single thought, every sensation, every fiber of her being, overwhelming her with pleasure.

"Now, Elsa," he breathed in a rough voice, "Come for me now."

As if his words were somehow fuel to the fire, the pure, unadulterated pleasure intensified so strongly that Elsa was sure she would never recover. She didn't just tumble over the edge in her climax, she took a running leap, falling off in an erotic, intense explosion. Her nails dug into his back in tiny crescent-shaped marks, and as she clenched around him so incredibly strongly, he finally released as well, groaning her name.

Amidst her waves upon waves of heady satisfaction she felt him pulsing within her, releasing himself so strongly that she felt the potent heat of him filling her, completing her as she rode out her climax. He finished his release with one last passionate, strong kiss, latching himself onto her fully, giving himself to her. She returned it with renewed strength, capturing his lips with her own as her heart slowed finally, returning itself to a more natural rhythm.

**Alright, the worst is over, folks. ;)**

As he finally came down as well, Ezio collapsed above her, weighing her down and leaving them both panting, sweating, and feeling more complete than ever. After he recovered he began peppering her shoulder, neck, and jaw with soft, slow kisses, both of them feeling drunk off of each other's finale.

"I love you," she mumbled sleepily as he separated himself from her and pulled her into his arms, lying back against the pillows of the bed. She'd already fallen asleep by the time he brushed a hand through her hair, planting a soft kiss to her temple.

"I love you too, Elsa."

* * *

**Alright.**

**I'm stopping the chapter there because what happens after this point is a bit too quickly-paced to find a good stopping point, and I'd say the length of this chapter is enough for one night. :P **

**I'm... not exactly learned in the art of smut-writing, but I did my best; I couldn't help but fluff it up though. It's a bit emotional, I know.. :P**


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